Barbara Rousseau SFP
Barbara took up painting when she moved to the New Forest area in 1996. She had previous careers as a Riding Instructor and a Landscape Gardener.
Now semi-retired, Barbara has become an active artist. She is a member of several local Art Societies and offers pastel workshops at all levels. She is also a member of the Society of Floral Painters and Marwell International Wildlife Art Society. She enjoys all subject matter but particularly wildlife, flowers and marine subjects. She is also an active member of her local art societies at Milford on Sea, Romsey, Ringwood and the Hengist group in Christchurch.
Over the last few years Barbara has had pictures accepted for exhibitions in London at both the Society of Women Artists and the Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries. She has also exhibited locally in exhibitions at St. Barbe Museum, Lymington, Salisbury Hospital and invited to exhibit at the Salisbury Playhouse Gallery in 2005.
In 2006 she was invited to exhibit at Exbury Gardens and was also commissioned by the Tudor House Museum in Southampton to produce 3 paintings of their garden.
She has also won the "Best Animal or Wildlife" category in the SAA Artist of the Year 2006 competition. Her painting of a Sally Lightfoot Crab which was exhibited at Marwell in 2005, was also voted as the overall First Prize winner for the SAA "Artist of the Year - 2006".
Barbara has achieved all this, despite suffering from Meniere's disease that causes Vertigo, Tinnitus and Deafness; she would like her achievements to inspire other sufferers from this debilitating disease.