Mountains of Home - Lesley Birch - Framed art Print

Painter and printmaker Lesley Birch, born in Glasgow in 1958, crafts evocative, semi-abstract pieces that speak to her affinity with time and place. Her inspiration springs from the rugged landscapes of Scotland, Ireland, and Yorkshire, as well as the enigmatic Welsh forests, with their air and sounds finding expression through her vibrant colours, texture, and marks.

Leveraging her MA in English Literature and Music from the University of Glasgow, Birch spent the 1980s touring the UK and USA as a professional musician with the Scottish chart-topping band, Hue and Cry. Her foray into printmaking and painting began around 2000 while she was teaching English Literature in Cambridge.

Birch continually refines her approach, experimenting with various media to best articulate her subjects. After a 2017 trip to the isolated Scottish island of Islay, she developed a technique blending printmaking with painting, driven by her "passion for working on paper" and the promptness it allows in her mark-making.

Birch's lockdown alla prima oil paintings offer nostalgic memories of cherished places. Her artwork often leans towards abstraction, ignited by her responses to events, places, or emotions. A single line, shape or colour can sometimes become the central motif for an entire body of work.

In 2019, Birch became a member of the Society of Scottish Artists. She is also a founding member of PICA Studios in York, where she currently resides and creates. Birch's emotive colour usage and expressive marks truly connect with her audience.