

Barrie Watson
Barrie Watson was born and bred in the North East, was brought up in Murton Colliery and has lived the last 30 years in Sunderland.
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He has always had a creative flair, working as a hair stylist for 5 years before moving on to work with leading hairdressing manufacturers.
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Going back to 1997, Barrie's creativity saw him cook his way to the final of the BBC MasterChef competition, before securing a position working in the Savoy Hotel London, alongside doing some stints with the BBC media and the FOOD Network channel.
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Barrie moved on quickly and opened the high-end catering company and bistro, ‘Prickly Pear’. He continued with his cooking endeavours and inspired everyone in the North East with his weekly cookery/food page in the Newcastle Chronicle and the Sunderland Echo.
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Barrie's hidden talent for painting emerged during the 2020-2021 lockdown, when he started painting to fill in time and to keep his creativity alive.
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His loose, relaxed abstract work with acrylic paint is full of emotion and drama, Using clips from old books to create collage within his paintings, he creates interest and nurtures recognisable links to the past.