Lesley Rainey’s Biography

I was born in Newtownards in Co. Down in 1969. I now live in the nearby village of Greyabbey. After leaving school I studied art and design in Bangor and then onto Belfast. I graduated with an honours degree in design. Even though my passsion was painting, I never thought that I would be able to make an income from it, so I played safe and got a job as a graphic designer. It was fine for a while as I painted in my spare time. I then got a job with the national trust working in conservation of the collection at Mount Stewart. It was there that I was given the opportunity to paint in the beautiful gardens and soon after that I was asked to exhibit my work in a group show in Belfast and I have been exhibiting my work ever since. I took the plunge last year and decided to give painting a try and now I am painting full-time. I have always been interested in flower painting; natural form and still life are my favourite subjects. I try to convey the organic shape and the personality of the flower, and I love the way watercolour gives me the ability to do this. I have private collections in America, Canada and also here in Ireland. My work can also be seen in public collections including the Department of the Environment.