Lynne Harkes                        

I was born in Scotland and grew up in Edinburgh, where my art path took its first steps in the form of a creative soul, who’s most valuable possessions were her coloured pencils and sketch books.

Thanks to a life of foreign travel, I’m fortunate to have been exposed to a vibrancy of cultures, in particular the creative flavours of the Middle East and West Africa. The visual element of these travels, as well as the experience of the
life and people there, have added layers to my art and my painting process.  

In the last few years I have relocated to the magical island
of Mallorca and am delighted to call the mountain village of Valldemossa my home. As soon as my feet touched down on the island, I knew that this iridescent place would be the thing to carry my art on its next journey. My paintings have evolved remarkably in only a short time of living here.

​It has become a lot less about me, the artist, and much more about painting a joy for life. I am particularly fascinated by light and depicting this in my art. I get a lot of pleasure seeing this brilliance that is the sun, apparently far from us, and yet at the same time right there beside us in the way it interacts and bounces of surfaces around us. It's as if heaven and earth are brought together. I hope that my paintings are able remind people of the special magic of light that we sometimes take for granted.

"Spinach Soup for the Walls¨ which I wrote and had published a few years ago, documents the ebb and flow of my life, set against a backdrop of travel and ever evolving art. The book cover image is take from one of the huge, flower paintings I was creating in the same period. My story is still relevant today, away from the noise and chatter, when going within we can connect to our true self. The simple joy of light shining on an Autumn leaf, lifts the heart and  has the power to create a deep enough pause to shine right to the soul. 

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