MIKE BARKER - PAINTER

Painting the wild spaces, wildlife and landscapes of the East Anglian fens and further afield; occasionally looking in the darker corners…. Mike's work reflects his ecological background and draws on impressionist and modern artistic influences. Mike’s upbringing in the Far East shines through in the monochrome watercolours, ink and search for simple, single stroke painting of his mini-watercolours of birds, his iconic twisted pines and particularly his swifts and cranes distilled to their core essence.

He has recently been working on a series in oils of more abstract fen wetland scenes in and around Wicken Fen and also the peaty wet woodland landscapes of Fordham Woods. They include memorable observations of birds, dragonflies and flora spotted on the way in both watercolours and pen and ink. 

Of course there are views of and to Swaffham Prior where he lives and sometimes now more often hints of the climate crisis tucked into his paintings...