Mike 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.
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”.
In 2008 his work “Last wave” was chosen as part of and expansive work on surfing ‘The Surf Collection’ in France by world surfing guru Gerard Decoster.
Mike is well-known in Adelaide and Melbourne for his rainy street scenes and was recognised by being part of a publication ‘The Art of Being Melbourne’ in which the city’s history from gold-rush days through to today is recorded through its artists. “I felt honoured to be sitting side-by-side with Australia’s greatest artists in this historical award-winning book”.
As well as participating in many solo and group exhibitions in Adelaide and Melbourne, Mike is a contributing author to both the Australian Artist magazine and the UK magazine, The Artist. He has also contributed an art piece in the Medical Journal of Australia extolling the virtues of art in medical waiting rooms.
As well as being a practicing artist and art writer Mike has undertaken judging duties in the last couple of years.
Numerous joint showings in Adelaide.
Solo shows at :
Greenhill Galleries Adelaide 2008
Art Melbourne 09,
Mt Surmon Wines
David Sumner Gallery 2012
Published:
Articles in the Australian Artist magazine
Articles in the The Artist (UK magazine)
Article on benefits of art in waiting rooms in the Medical Journal of Australia.
https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/189.../bar11144_fm.pdf
Six pages in ‘The art of being Melbourne’ 2012 by Maree Coote
http://www.melbournestyle.com.au/TheARTofBEINGMELBOURNEbook.html
Two pages in Surf Collection by Gerard Decoster - France
http://artofbarr.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/surf-collection.html
Galleries
Roux and Cyr International Gallery – Portland, Maine USA
Artworx Gallery - Goolwa
Awards and achievements
2015 - Exhibition Prize - Patchings International Art Competition - UK
2015 - First Prize - Campbelltown Rotary Art Show
2015 - Packers Prize - Kerneweck Lowender Art Prize
2015 - First Prize overall - Feb/March Plein Air Salon international online competition
2015 - Cover Story - March edition of The Australian Artist magazine
2014 - First Prize - 40x40 show, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2014 - People's Choice - The Heysen Prize for Interpretation of Place
2014 - Finalist - The Heysen Prize for Interpretation of Place
2014 - Finalist - The Artist's Magazine Annual Art Competition
2014 - Second Prize - Adelaide Royal Show - Art Purchase Exhibition
2014 - Highly Commended - Glenside Lions art Show
2014 - Highly Commended - Blackwood Rotary Art Show
2013 - People's Choice - St Ignatius Art Show Adelaide
2013 - Late Rain features on Evoletah's latest album - We Ache for the Moon
2013 - Feature article - Australian Artist magazine - May Issue
2013 - Feature article - Australian Artist magazine - April Issue
2013 - Silver Aquisitive Award - Victor Harbor Rotary Art Show
2012 - Best Social Comment or Observation of Human Nature - Cathedral Art Show
2012 - Finalist - The Mortimer Prize
2012 - Best in Show - Royal Adelaide Show Art Purchase Exhibition
2012 - First Prize acrylic - Royal Adelaide Show Art Purchase Exhibition
2012 - High Commendation - Walkerville Rotary Art Show
2012 - Best Watercolour - Walkerville Rotary Art Show
2012 - July 2012 Outstanding Acrylic award - international Bold Brush award
2012 - People's Choice - Yorke Peninsular Art Show
2012 - January 2012 Outstanding Acrylic award in the International Bold Brush award
2011 - Demonstration article in UK The Artist Magazine.
2011 - October 2011 Outstanding Acrylic award in the International Bold Brush award.
2011 - My painting Yachts in a Storm was recognised in the 3rd Watermedia Showcase and was published in the Feb 2012 Watercolour Artist. It was given an honourable mention in the competition and billed as one of the 36 Best Watermedia paintings of the year on the magazine cover.
2011 - Demonstration artist - Campbelltown Rotary Art Show
2011 - Best work by an artists previously not awarded a prize - Camberwell Rotary Art Show, Melbourne
2010 - Winner - Wish you were here Paint a Postcard competition - 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 Show
2009 - People's Choice - 25th Loreto Spring Art
2009 - Best oil/acrylic - Walkerville Art Show
2009 - Winner - City of Burnside Art Prize
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 - 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
2006 - First prize - Hahndorf Streetscape Competition
2006 - Commended - Tumut Art Exhibition
2006 - Pre-selection RSASA 150th Anniversary Art Prize
2006 - Highly Commended - Burnside Art Show
2006 - People's Choice Award - WEA Art Exhibition, Adelaide
2006 - Third prize - Blackwood Art Show
2006 - Finalist - Heysen Art Prize
2006 - Highly Commended - Freemasons Art Exhibition, Adelaide
2006 - Winner - Best overall work - Gawler Art Award
2005 - Second Prize - Port Adelaide Rotary Art Show
2005 - Highly Commended - Tumut Art Exhibition
2005 - Most popular artist (Popular Choice Award) - WEA Art Exhibition, Adelaide
2005 - Highly Commended - Blackwood Art Show
2005 - Finalist - Heysen Art Prize
2005 - Prizewinner - Hahndorf Streetscape Competition
2005 - Merit Award - Adelaide Cathedral Art Exhibition
2005 - Pre-selection for the Whyalla Art Prize
2004 - Judge's Choice Merit Award - Port Adelaide Rotary Art Show
Media
2007 - Demonstration article published in the Australian Artist magazine June 2007
2008 - Demonstration article - Australian Artist magazine April 2008
2008 - Segment - Channel 7 Discover - Sunday July 18
2008 - Article in The Medical Journal of Australia - The Positive Power of Paintings
2009 - Demonstration article - Australian Artist magazine April 2009
2010 - Demonstration article - The Artist (UK)
2011 - Demonstration article - The Artist (UK)
2012 - Six-page spread - The art of being Melbourne - by Maree Coote 2013 - Feature article - April issue - Australian Artist magazine 2013 - Feature article - May issue - Australian Artist magazine 2013 - Painting - Late Rain features on Evoletah's new Album - We Ache for the Moon
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Mike Barr in Walkerville Art Show