'I was born in Liverpool in 1960 and grew up in a tenement block in the city. I was lucky that both my parents loved to escape to the countryside whenever possible and I would marvel at the scenery that was there. I also had family who lived in North Wales and would go there at every opportunity... Like most young children, I was given paper and pencils to draw with and then cheap water colours to paint with’ says Barrington Loines, who is now one of the official artists for the National Trust.‘Some children leave that behind when they grow up, but I never did. I was given my first set of oil paints, all partly used, from a family friend and professional artist in Liverpool, when I was around seven or eight, and although I didn’t know how to use them properly, I loved using them... At primary schoolI was encouraged by teachers and the headmaster, and always had work up around the school and later in senior school. Once you have that sort of encouragement and recognition it’s something you continue to look for.... it is very hard to give that up’ he adds.
‘Although I am probably better known for being a landscape artist now, many people know me as a wildlife artist who draws big cats and elephants and so are surprised when they come to an exhibition full of landscape works’ Barrington says. In this regard, Barrington’s artistic journey seems to reflect how the Earth’s landscapes have changed overtime; from areas consisting of wild animals to, through gradual human intervention and encroachment, lands now consisting of houses and parks.
As we explored earlier within this issue, many people think of the wilderness as a place that predominantly consists of wildlife. The word ‘wild’ itself is frequently used to describe something completely untamed by humankind (little coincidence then that the phrase is often used when discussing children). Yet Barrington need not use such words, as he is able to express these wild elements through his marvellous oil paintings. In his works that depict large cats for example, such as Curiosity and Always Alert, Barrington, through a great deal of artistic skill, captures the animals textured furs and features in a way that informs viewers that these creatures are undomesticated. In doing so, Barrington also provides the animals with a personality.
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