Nixie Barton
Nixie Barton was born in Vancouver, BC in 1958, and graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelors of Fine Art in 1986 and has been exploring still life painting since. She currently lives in Nanaimo with her husband, fellow artist Grant Leier, and their son Grayson. Nixie draws inspiration from her extensive garden, which combines plants, found objects and constructions. The garden is less about the botanical and more about the visual. Luckily, those two worlds meet in joyous and creative ways.
Nixie's paintings vibrate with an enticing energy springing from the juxtaposition of classic line, bold colour, intriguing pattern and a clean and fresh composition. Her paintings are jubilant and vital, often combining acrylic and gold or bronze leaf. Nixies fascination with shape and texture is evident in her vibrant and opulent images. Her work is based partially on the imagery from her garden, and is partially interpretive. She describes her work as having "a wonky sense of composition", with colours and strong patterns.
In 2015, along with her husband Grant Leier, Nixie was awarded the Excellence in Culture Award from the City of Nanaimo for the national recognition of their work and their commitment to Nanaimo’s cultural vitality.
West End Gallery respectfully acknowledges the Lekwungen peoples, specifically the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, on whose traditional lands our Victoria gallery stands. We also acknowledge that our Edmonton gallery is situated on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples, including the Cree, Blackfoot, Metis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, and Inuit.