Mike Barr, 1955 | Impressionist painter | Tutt'Art@ | Pittura * Scultura * Poesia * Musica

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.

Award

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.