Mike Barker
Portfolios
Wicken & other Fens
During 2017 and 2018 I have been working to capture and then re-work a series of waterways and wetlands imagery. These have evolved in that time to become more and more impressionistic, especially in the spring of 2019. However, the ecological features always creep in - so migrating House-martins, the mass flowering of Arrowhead and the fauna within the aquatic environment are never far away.
More recently, I have been imagining the restoration of wetlands within the wider Wicken Fen Vision Area and the wildlife it would attract and support. Lots of wetland birds, including Common Cranes and more besides... very exciting!!
These series includes my first triptych - Reach Lode Bridge through the seasons.
Much more on my new website - https://www.mikebarkerart.co.uk/
Fenland Wildlife
The wetlands of the fens are the last remnants of a rich ecosystem - these animals are a few that have crept into my art.
Much more on my new website - https://www.mikebarkerart.co.uk/
And including heath and coastal species too!
Breckland scenes
The Brecks are a strange and largely unappreciated landscape with its own unique wildlife.
The sandy and dry Breckland landscape can be extreme and as desolate as the fens are bleak. The specialist flora and fauna such as the stone curlews are themselves oddities. The landscape is typified by the twisted and smashed roadside pines – iconic in their drunken leaning and broken limbs.
Much more on my new website - https://www.mikebarkerart.co.uk/
East Anglian Landscapes and Landmarks
In this series I have included oil and watercolour paintings of local landscapes and landmarks as well as pen and ink drawings of the village, Swaffham Prior. It includes my rendition of the iconic view of the Lode Mill at Anglesey Abbey.
There Norfolk (and Suffolk) Broads and the coastline are just magical but I have painted only a little in these environments so far - I'm saving them I guess.
Much more on my new website - https://www.mikebarkerart.co.uk/
Darker Times and others
Climate change and the climate emergency mixed with the backdrop of 2020 has been one of those years and on occasion this has influenced the style and subject of my paintings - some of these though are amongt my favourites.
Much more on my new website https://www.mikebarkerart.co.uk/
July Open Studios
Cambridge Open Studios 2021
News
Wicken Fen Vision Area series preview
A sneak preview of the core Wicken Fen Vison Area series paintings
Green Shoots of Spring
The Spring equinox has just past there are brimstones and bumblebees on the wing and buds are bursting all over the place. So it does really feel like spring and a difference is coming at long last!
Website Launch
www.mikebarkerart.co.uk goes live
pen and ink, watercolours, pastels and oils
Painting the wild spaces, wildlife and landscapes of the East Anglian fens, brecks and coast, plus a couple of series of pen & ink drawings
My work reflects my ecological background and draws on impressionist and modern artistic influences. I am currently working on a series of fen waterland scenes and the iconic 'twisted pine' landscapes of the brecks.
In 2020, I have also undertaken a series of paintings imagining the restored wetlands that would follow the rewilding of the Wicken Fen Vision Area. I have also continued to add to a couple of additional pen and ink series #bathing towel and #octoart which have become slightly obsessional. These are not uploaded here but you can find them on my other instagram account https://www.instagram.com/observed_erotic_art/ and on my website. If you see something, do just ask, always good to hear from you.
Original artwork is available, and also limited edition giclee prints and as handcoloured prints with watercolour washes, if desired!