Mike Barr Adelaide, South Australia

I paint what I love - sparsely populated beaches with big skies and wide shallows and rain-drenched city streets that sparkle with reflective light. I like to animate these scenes with human activity, such as beach walkers or those braving the elements of a rainy day.

The sky usually plays a large part in my work. From a young age I have been fascinated with clouds and the moods of the sky and have always loved a stormy day. It is no surprise then that this is translated into my painting.

My paintings may not match the curtains – but they are windows in themselves and offer glimpses of where we have been or where we would like to be - places where the soul can linger for a while and rest.

As well as being an award winning artist, I have also appeared twice on the life-style tv program ‘Discover’. I am also a regular feature writer for Australia’s national art magazine The Australian Artist and the UK magazine 'the Artist' as well as a regular painting demonstrator at art shows and other functions.

My works are held in collections Australia-wide as well as the US, Canada, Bermuda, UK, France, Germany and Sweden.

I am a fellow of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts and a member of AGRA - Australian Guild of Realist Artists

Recent aw­­ards and achievements 2010 - Winner - Wish you were here Paint a Postcard compeitition - the Artist Magazine 2010 - Best painting capturing the spirit of Adelaide - Cathedral Art Show 2010 - Best Oil/Acrylic - Glenelg Rotary Art Show 2010 - Best in Show - Gawler Art Award 2010 - Star Portrait artist - Hugh Sheridan - Loreto Spring Art 2010 - Second Prize - acrylic - Adelaide Royal Show 2010 - People's Choice - Tea Tree Gully Art Exhibition 2010 - Demonstrating artist - Camberwell Art Show, Melbourne 2010 - People's Choice - City of Burnside Art Prize 2010 - First Prize- Port Adelaide Rotary Art Show2009 – People’s choice – Loreto Spring Art

2009 - Finalist - Heysen Prize for Australian Landscape

2009 - Best oil/acrylic - Walkerville Art Show 2009 - Winner - City of Burnside Art Prize 2009 - Demonstration article - Australian Artist magazine April 2009 2009 - Best oil/acrylic in show - Campbelltown Rotary Art Show 2009 - Guest Artist - Flagstaff Hill Rotary Art Show 2009 - Demonstrating artist - Camberwell Art Show, Melbourne 2008 - Highly commended - Port Adelaide Rotary Art Show 2008 - Best in Exhibition - Clare Rotary Art Exhibition 2008 – TV Segment - Channel 7 Discover - Sunday July 18 2008 - Demonstration article - Australian Artist magazine April 2008 2008 - Article in The Medical Journal of Australia - The Positive Power of Paintings 2008 - Highly Commended - Victor Harbor Rotary Art Show

2007 - Winner - City of Burnside Art Prize 2007 - Highly Commended - Blackwood Art Show 2007 - Second prize Tea Tree Gully Art Show 2007 - Finalist - Heysen Prize for Australian Landscape 2007 - Very Highly Commended twice - Freemasons Art Exhibition, Adelaide 2007 - Best Iconic representation - Adelaide Cathedral Art Show 2007 - People's Choice - Adelaide Cathedral Art Show 2007 - Honourable mention - Art-Interview international art competition

For more on Mike Barr see www.theartofbarr.com