Monday, September 24, 2018

Artist of the day, September 24: Mike Barr, Australian impressionist painter

Rainy days and beaches by Mike Barr Artist

Mike Barr (1955) is an Adelaide-based impressionist painter with a penchant for rain in the city and beaches.
He started his artistic life as a potter and participated in an exhibition with Adelaide’s best when only 19 years of age. It is just over 10 years ago since he started painting in acrylics and oils and has gained over 50 awards during this time.

Extracting positive emotions from viewers is the main focus of Mike Barr’s work. He has explored two main subjects that in themselves are departures from the normal humdrum of life; and that is the beach and rainy-day cityscapes.  Even though rain in the city may be seem negative, it is a real-life drama that evokes both excitement and comfort when seen in a painting. In the last few years Mike has concentrated on developing a style that does not tell the whole story. He draws-in viewers and invites them to be a part of the scene.  He coaxes involvement.  He extracts feelings of being there, and at last lets viewers revel in the warmth and dryness of where they stand!


The beautiful beaches of Adelaide and the state of South Australia have inspired Mike to convey their sense of wonder through his work. He believes that the sky holds the key to most paintings, particularly at the beach where the sky is uninterrupted by buildings – "it’s here that we experience a real sense of space".

© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Mike Barr. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.


Mr Mike Barr

Adelaide, 30cm x 40cm

Yacht Club Pines - Victor Harbor, 60cm x 120cm

Market Day - Grote Street, 50cm x 50cm

Showers at Ballarat

Late Rain - Waymouth Street, 75cm x 75cm

Rain At The Rocks - Sydney

Holiday at Semaphore, 75cm x 75cm

Frankin to Flinders,  60cm x 40cm

Fishers - Port Willunga, 45cm x 60cm

Clare - 1920s, 60cm x 60cm

Beach path

Elizabeth Street, Melbourne

The Union - Waymouth St.

River Shadows - Goolwa, 75cm x 90cm

Town Hall Reflections, 75cm x 75cm

Rain - Victoria Square

Late Afternoon - Burke Street

Early Rain - Adelaide, 75cm x 75cm

Currie Street Showers, 20cm x 20cm

A touch of Nostalgia, 75cm x 90cm

Walk in the Rain,  60cm x 50cm

Waymouth Street Reflections

Picnic Tree, 75cm x 75cm

King William Street Rain, 90cm x 90cm

Gawler Rain

Adelaide Coffee Bar, 40cm x 30cm

Storm yachts - Goolwa

Rain on Grenfell Street, 60cm x 80cm

Hometime showers

Packing up - Seacliff

Collins Street, Melbourne

Autumn sun middleton

Beach shadows

Weather on Waymouth

Victoria Square

Home time Rain, 60cm x 60cm

Misty Waymouth St.

Goolwa beach sailing club, 90cm x 140cm

Afternoon Walkers, Middleton, 75cm x 90cm

Girl on beach,  30cm x 60cm

Cockling Mist Goolwa, 90cm x 150cm

Showers on King William Street, 25cm x 25cm

Puddles on Waymouth, 75cm x 75cm

Impressions of Casablabla, 30cm x 30cm

Flinders Street Fantasy, 75cm x 75cm

Deluge on O'Connell Street, 50cm x 50cm

Waymouth Street, West

Townhall

Melbourne Afternoon, 40cm x 40cm

Flinders Street shadows

Home time rain - Waymouth Street, 90cm x 90cm

Bridge Street, Sydney, 60cm x 60cm

Rain Flinders Street

Rain at the museum

Late Showers - Flinders Street, 75cm x 75cm

Autumn Winds - Goolwa, 90cm x 140cm

Summer Haze - Goolwa, 90cm x 152cm

 Mighty Melbourne, 90cm x 120cm

 Late Afternoon - Chapel St.

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