Barbara Balmer (1929–2017) was born in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Balmer first studied at Coventry College of Art before enrolling at Edinburgh College of Art, where she trained during a dynamic post-war period alongside many of the leading figures of modern Scottish painting. A travelling scholarship following graduation allowed her to spend extended time in France and Spain, experiences that had a lasting influence on her sensitivity to light, architecture and colour. She first exhibited professionally in 1953 and went on to establish a highly respected career spanning more than six decades.
