About
Artist Statement and CV
Maggie Leaver is a Birmingham-based artist exploring contemporary approaches to painting through watercolour, mixed media and oils. Using expressive and experimental processes, her work responds to the natural world, lived experience and the emotional resonance of place. Working between observation and abstraction, she is interested in how memory, emotion and physical engagement can be translated through paint.
Much of Maggie’s work is inspired by the open and natural spaces of Birmingham and the surrounding area, including the River Rea, Cannon Hill Park, Highbury Park, Holders Fields and the Waseley Hills. These environments provide spaces of refuge and reflection, and her paintings celebrate their beauty and vitality while acknowledging the increasing fragility of the natural world. Alongside this, her work carries an underlying concern for environmental loss and social injustice. Through layered mark-making, shifting colour and compositional tension, she aims to communicate a sense of presence, urgency and emotional intensity.
Maggie’s practice continues to evolve through sustained daily studio work, commissions, exhibiting, and ongoing formal and informal learning. She actively engages with contemporary and historical painting traditions and regularly participates in Birmingham Art Circle reviews and events.
Maggie has over 14 years of professional development, including study with Norfolk Painting School, Midlands Art Centre, the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and Cannon Hill Art School, alongside self-directed studio practice. She holds a BA and part MBA with the Open University. Selected exhibitions include RBSA Watercolour Prize (2025), Birmingham Open ‘Light’ (2025), Leamington Open (2024), Barber Institute ‘Secret Life of Plants’ Prizewinner (2024), and RBSA Open and Prize Exhibitions. Her work is held in private collections and she is represented by two local galleries
More Information on Maggie Leaver
please follow my work and activities by joining my email list. To do this email me at [email protected]
and on instagram https://www.instagram.com/maggieleaver/
and facebook https://www.facebook.com/maggieleaverpaintings/
I am happy to discuss commissioning work and am best contacted at the email address [email protected].
Comments/ Testimonials
'Leaver’s piece resonates with me in that it takes me back to my childhood sitting in the garden on a beautifully sunny day with my late grandmother and painting beautiful drawings of fairies with watercolour (before mindful colouring was a thing) Looking at this work, Im transported back in time to that summer and theres something quite magical about the piece also. It gives me vibes of ‘Fairytale: a true story’ and just like the beautiful classic film, it is delicate, enchanting and something quite magical.' - visitor to the ORT Gallery, having selected this piece ('Immersed' and another artwork as favourite artworks in the exhibition 'Up, Down and Somewhere In between' November/ December 2021.
'your work is exquisite' Midlands Arts Centre Arts Market visitor November 2021.
‘stunning,
‘ethereal’
‘dream like'
‘Just beautiful'
‘Love your work’
“I am delighted with the print”
“it draws my eye and gives me a moment of reflection and relaxation each time I go into my office”
- "very powerful - best painting I have seen for a while " re: painting 'Tough (Family Carer Series)'
- " my favourites are Brightening (Sold) and Life Change 2"
- " have had a look at your website and really liked what I saw, especially the Brightening picture (I like flowers plus colour) and Tough (great emotion in this one) " Julie K.
- "wow!"
- " Like your work" The Kitchen Garden Cafe
- " Love it!" JD (re Brightening)
- "Love your work" - Lee Benson (No9 The Gallery)
- really, no I mean i really loved your work (Ian)
- "I see the sky,the sea , the cliffs ,the waves , the surf . The more I look the more I see . Its like lying on a grassy bank and seeing all of natures elements reflected in the passing clouds above .. I like it. ( Neil Foster )
Memberships
Birmingham Art Circle (Membership Co-ordinator)
RBSA Friends
British Impressionist Society
United Artists of South Birmingham
Birmingham Open Studios
ORT Gallery
Hall Green Arts Society
Artists Workhouse (closed)
Eastside Projects
Cannon Hill Art School - CHAS
Birmingham Urban Sketchers
Exhibitions include
RBSA Watercolour Prize 2025
Hidden Life of Plants Barber Institute 2024. - prizewinner
Patchings Nottingham
Shrewsbury Art Trail
Leamington Open
Broadway Arts Festival
Coventry Open 2023
West Midlands Open
Birmingham Art Circle
ORT
Artyard
RBSA Friends
Artefact Winter Exhibition
Ort Gallery members exhibition
RBSA Open and Prize along with Friends exhibitions
Artists Workhouse Autumn Exhibition
The Art Yard exhibitions
ORT Gallery members exhibition
Hall Green Art - Autumn Exhibition
Birmingham Open Studios
Studley Art Trail.
ORT Gallery 'Human Story' exhibition 5 April - 5 May 2019
'Extraordinary' exhibition - The Arches Project by Julie Robertson ! - 30 April 2019
Artists Workshouse Spring Exhibition 2019
Mac Art Markets (Mac Birmingham Arts Centre) (check facebook page for next one)
Big Peg Urban Coffee shop - Jewellery Quarter, Warstone Lane 30 November 2018 - 7 January 2019
MAC Birmingham Christmas Art Market 2018
Hall Green Art Exhibition 3 November 2018.
Moseley Exchange Autumn Exhibition with Core Collective October 2018
Solihull Gallery - June 2018
Several others with Core Collectives - Gunmakers Arms, Solihull Courtyard Gallery, 1000 Trades, Solihull Hospital and with Hall Green Art at Moseley Exchange.
Painting in RBSA Prize exhibition spring 2018
Moseley Exchange - Hall Green Art Exhibition November 2017
Birmingham Botanical Gardens - Edgbaston Artist exhibition July/August 2017
Painting in RBSA friends exhibition 22 July 2017
Painting in RBSA Open exhibition - March/ april 2017 - 'like me and you' - oil on canvas
1 -25 July 2016 - 'colour form feel' - at the coachhouse gallery, winterbourne house and garden, university of birmingham - solo exhibition
Moseley Exchange - Autumn Exhibition October 2018
Birmingham Open Studios - Old Print Works September 2018
Solihull Courtyard Gallery with Core Collectives Summer 2018
1000 Trades with Core Collectives - Summer 2018
Blue Butterfly Gallery, Solihull Hospital Spring 2018
Moseley Exchange with Hall Green Art 26 May 2018
Gunmakers Arms with Core Collectives 19 February - 10 March 2018
November 2017 - Moseley Exchange - with Hall Green Art.
July/August 2017 Birmingham Botanical Gardens gallery - Edgabsaton Artists exhibition
rbsa friends exhibition June / July 2017 - waseley blue 2 (SOLD)
rbsa open exhibition until 8 april 2017 - 'like me and you' - oil on canvas
Hall Green Art - Kings Heath Moseley - spring exhibition 2017
29 October 2016 - stall at Moseley Art Market
26 November 2016 - " " " "
1 - 25 July 2016 - Winterbourne House and Gardens Coachhouse Gallery 'colour form feel' - solo exhibition of artwork - 11 paintings sold.
Hall Green Art 28 May 2016 - Moseley Exchange
Hall Green Artists - 31 October 2015 Cannon Hill Art School Exhibition - Midlands Arts Centre - 'I'm 25 in my head' - 17 July - September 2015
- Royal Birmingham Society of Artists - June 17 - 11 July 2015 - 'Patterns, Colours'
- Royal Birmingham Society of Artists - Prize exhibition May/June 2015 - 'Hidden(Family Carer Series)
- Hall Green Art - February 2015
- Royal Birmingham Society of Artists - Friends Exhibition - September 2014 - 'Bliss'.
- Hall Green Art - Birmingham Botanical Gardens June - 17 July 2014
- Chatterton Hall. Hall Green Art Society - 10 May 2014 - eight paintings exhibited.
- RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists) - 19 - 29 March 2014 - 'Tough' (Family Carer Series) and 'Glimpse' (Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham)
- a selection of work in The Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, Birmingham
- Woodbridge Rd Gallery, Moseley (Hall Green Art Society) 30 November - 1 December 2013
- Royal Birmingham Society of Artists – Friends Exhibition – August/September 2013 – painting selected – ‘Still Life with Bucket’ (Family Carer Series). Medium - watercolour on paper.
- The Open Project - Midlands Art Centre - June/July 2013 - Rubber Gloves, Bucket, Bottle, Glass, Pills Tissues (Family Carer Series)