Rosanne Barr is a contemporary Scottish artist celebrated for her tranquil and evocative memory-scapes, which she calls her ‘Lands of Escape’. Inspired by the remote landscapes of North West Scotland and Orkney, her work captures the mood, light, and atmosphere of these dramatic and unspoiled locations. She seeks out solitary spots, often in the Highlands or along the islands’ coasts, to immerse herself fully in the landscape before translating her impressions into oil paintings.
Working exclusively from memory rather than sketches or photographs, Rosanne’s practice allows her to paint spontaneously, capturing the essence of a place rather than replicating it literally. Her distinctive abstract style heightens colour, simplifies shapes, and blends lines, often leaving visible brush marks that lend texture, depth, and movement to her canvases. This approach creates immersive, emotive works that invite viewers into spaces of calm, reflection, and quiet contemplation.
While her landscapes are grounded in real locations, Rosanne also draws on personal memory and imagination, transforming the Scottish environment into a poetic vision that is uniquely her own. Her works often depict immense skies, still waters, and rugged terrain, reflecting the solitude and serenity of the places she loves. Through her art, she conveys both the physical beauty of Scotland and the emotional experience of being in its wild, remote landscapes.
Born in 1981 in Gartocharn on the southern shores of Loch Lomond, Rosanne studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, graduating with First Class Honours. Her work has been widely exhibited across the UK, including the annual exhibitions of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts and Paisley Art Institute, and is held in private collections internationally. She lives and works in Milngavie, with her garden studio near Allander Water, just outside Glasgow.
Artists