Swoon

24" x 24"

Acrylic & wax pastel

Barbara Reade is a mixed media abstract artist from Burlington, Ontario. She earned a BFA in Illustration 

at Parsons School of Design in New York City, before pursuing careers in education and as a retail 

business owner. Barbara now paints full time in her light-filled studio near Lake Ontario, surrounded by 

the natural and urban views that inspire her work. Barbara’s paintings hang in private and corporate 

collections throughout North America and the Bahamas and have appeared in both solo and group 

shows.

As an abstract artist, Barbara’s work is an exploration of energy and the intangible connections that 

shape our human experience. She is drawn to the interplay of colour, texture, and form to create pieces 

that elicit a sense of movement. Each painting begins as an instinctual response to a thought or feeling, 

evolving through layers of experimentation and discovery.

Barbara’s recent series of floral-inspired paintings is more about the feelings evoked by flowers, rather 

than a literal representation. This allows for the viewer to make their own connections. Instead, they’re

all about colour, gestural brush marks, and luscious swoops of thick paint that remind us of balmy 

summer days, fragrant breezes and gardens in full bloom.