Pauline with the first print of West Beach Vatersay, at home on Vatersay.
In Pauline’s own words:
“I was born in Glasgow at the end of 1959. At the age of four I told my mum I wanted to be an artist in Paris — I felt so strongly about it, and it seemed to make sense to me at the time. I could picture it in my four-year-old mind: I just wanted to paint. Throughout my childhood I always had a pencil, crayons and paper. I continued drawing and painting throughout my life with no formal training. I did some graphic design, worked in a lithographer’s. When I had my babies I left painting on the back burner.
“We took the children on holidays, first up north, then to the Inner Hebrides. One day I was standing on Skye, and as I looked I saw a golden light over the distant islands of the Outer Hebrides. My heart skipped a beat — we’ll go there next year, I decided there and then. We first went to Harris, and of course found Barra next. The causeway to Vatersay hadn’t long been built, so we came with the children and we all fell in love with the place. I was drawn to a wild, raw beauty I’d never experienced before. Every year we visited, I would have a tear in my eye as we packed up to leave and made the sad drive to the ferry.
“We came with the children in July 1997, and on that holiday I found out I was pregnant with Adam. It seemed to be written in the stars that we would eventually come to live here. We had a small business in Glasgow — we were so busy with school, nursery, gymnastics classes, piano lessons, drum lessons, drama classes, taekwondo and swimming, I felt I didn’t have time to breathe. One year ran into the next. On a later visit we went to see the school, and saw the children at the fèis. What a wonderful way to live — what a lovely community feel. Everyone knew everyone.
“In Glasgow, after a particularly stressful time, we spoke about moving again. We’d had our first computer for a few months, so we looked on the internet — and there it was, the first house we saw, and on Vatersay. We came to view it within a few weeks, on the 22nd of March 2002 — my husband Rohail’s 40th birthday. It had to mean something. The house was the perfect size for a family of five, a Newfoundland and two cats. Mr MacNeil accepted our offer with a handshake, and we moved in on the 22nd of June 2002. I felt so happy I couldn’t believe it. It was like moving to another planet — and in a way it was. It wasn’t long before I got out my brushes and paint.
“In 2004 we began a new venture: we bought the Kisimul café and gallery in Castlebay, and Café Kisimul it became. We settled on an international menu, though right away the curries were the favourite. The trouble was, the café was so successful that once again I didn’t have time to paint. The paintings I did manage to finish were displayed in the café — they added to the ambience — and I was more or less resigned to waiting a while longer. The years passed, the kids grew, the café grew. There were nights when we were all working together in our family business.
“Then, in 2015, we lost Rohail. I didn’t think I could go on, but I managed to trudge through — and two years later we lost a dear friend who had been with us from the very beginning. My health deteriorated, and in 2020, just as Covid struck, I became seriously ill and spent months in hospital. I felt I’d been through the wars.
“But I was determined to paint again. I had to rest for long periods, so I played with colour when I could. Eventually I began practising acrylic pours — the right medium for me at the time — and I had some amazing results. Now I’m painting mixed media, watercolours, and more of my beloved oils. As I speak, there is one waiting for me on the easel. At long last, I feel I’m back where I left off.
“With vast open skies, vibrant colours, wildlife and tranquility, I try to capture the essence on my canvas. I paint the land and the land watches back. Together we create an impression.”
Pauline’s original paintings are stocked at Bùth Bharraigh, Barra’s community shop in Castlebay. Every print in this shop is made from an original painting, produced to order on museum-grade paper.
The shop is run by mother and son — Pauline paints on Vatersay, and her son Adam looks after the gallery and the orders from Edinburgh. Write to hello@paulinebari.com and one of us will answer.