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An illustration of a fantastical castle composed of geometric shapes and patterns. The structure is filled with colourful triangles, diamonds and stripes in yellow, pink and blue against a black background.

Geometric mythology from the prolifically talented Lesley Barnes

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Date
25 March 2013

Glasgow-based illustrator, animator and all-round creative Lesley Barnes creates great sprawling illustrations that take inspiration from contemporary fashion, mid-century design and every facet of mythological narrative; from the ancient Greeks to The Brothers Grimm. Lesley’s got a knack for creating engagingly complex imagery from layered geometric patterns and hand-drawn characters that are brought together with textural finishes, mimicking traditional print techniques. Entirely self-taught following a degree in English Literature, we can only assume that Lesley spent her entire childhood honing her craft before unleashing it upon the commercial world; the higher education simply adding the finishing touches to an already accomplished narrative eye.

An illustration of two figures riding a horse, composed of colourful geometric shapes and patterns. They carry a large, ornate banner featuring a variety of abstract motifs in blue, yellow and pink.
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Lesley Barnes: The Enchanted Forest

An illustration of a figure riding a horse through a forest of thorny, curling vines. The horse and rider are decorated with colourful geometric patterns, and a large owl perches nearby.
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Lesley Barnes: The Enchanted Forest

A colourful, geometric illustration of a castle composed of intricate patterns and shapes. Several black birds and an owl perch atop the spires and walls against a plain cream background.
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Lesley Barnes: The Enchanted Forest

An illustration of a person holding a massive bunch of colourful balloons against a pink background. The balloons are shaped like smiling faces and carry the text “every day 4,000 blank canvases are born into the world”. A logo for the Museum of Childhood appears in the top left corner.
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Lesley Barnes: V & A Museum of Childhood

A colourful illustration of a person’s head and shoulders, where their thoughts form a towering, geometric castle. Text integrated into the shapes reads “the GREATEST ART GALLERY in the world is a child’s”. Below, the word “IMAGINATION” is spelled out across the person’s face and hands.
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Lesley Barnes: V & A Museum of Childhood

An illustration of a repeating pattern featuring stylised peacocks on a cream background. The birds are black with ornate, fan-like tails in shades of blue, gold and brown.
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Lesley Barnes: Wrap for Wrap

An illustration of a repeating pattern featuring stylised peacocks in shades of blue and white. The birds are set against a deep navy background, with some displaying large, ornate fanned tails.
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Lesley Barnes: Wrap for Wrap

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About the Author

James Cartwright

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James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

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