 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
About Barrie
I am a retired engineer with a passion for art and woodwork. Lived and worked in England, New Zealand, USA and now in Canada. For several decades, art was a hobby that seemed to be in a perpetual state of experimentation due to my curiosity about painting mediums, tools, techniques, materials, framing and subject matter. Having emerged from the experimental period, I now practice my art on a full time basis. The paintings and frames displayed on this website represent some of my recent works. Since I am a self taught artist and make my own paint, stretch canvas and fabricate picture frames, you should find an air of uniqueness in my art.About Paintings
Unless otherwise stated, all paintings are made with an oil paint that was developed during my experimental years. It is in fact, a very special paint made by grinding dry powdered pigment into a medium of safflower oil and Canada balsam. Both ingredients have excellent optical properties caused by a high refractive index and clarity of the medium. After the paint dries, paintings appear to sparkle under both dim and bright lighting conditions. This is caused by light reflecting and refracting from facets of thick paint made by a pallette knife. Some of the detail pictures in the gallery show a hint of this effect in the guise of small highlights.About Picture Frames
Barrie Art Picture Frames are custom made by machining rough planks of hardwood. They can be quite plain or very elaborate with inlay banding or overlaid veneer. They can be finished to show the beauty of unstained hardwood or selectively stained for a two tone effect. Frames can also be made with two different hardwoods. Both plain and elaborate frames are mitered with a contrasting hardwood. Some frames are made with a recess deeper than a stretched canvas which is convenient for mounting and sealing the artwork. Examples of frames are shown in the GALLERY, and a more detailed presentation can be found here or click the picture frame on the left.About Commisioned Work
If you are looking for a unique gift for a special person or special occasion, please consider a Barrie Art custom painting. The theme can be almost anything. Some examples are: conventional portrait, portrait posed with another object or subject, cat or dog, surreal compositions, religious themes or copy of a masterpiece (in the public domain such as Mona Lisa). Commisioned paintings are on stretched canvas and can be any size to a maximum of 18 X 16 inches. For a quote, please send a picture and description of your requirements to the email address imprinted at the bottom of these pages. General price information can be found in the SHOP.