Bob Barker

‘Across The Cut’ invites you on a journey back in time, along the tranquil banks of a canal nestled against an industrial backdrop. With quaint mill houses and cobblestone streets, the scene unfolds with a delicate balance of light and shadow, capturing the essence of a moment suspended in time.

This piece draws inspiration from Bob Barker’s upbringing, weaving together a tapestry of memories and emotions into a single canvas. Each brushstroke whispers tales of a bygone era and is a tribute to the resilience and spirit of the working-class communities that shaped his identity.

Bob Barker's distinctive ‘Northern Impressionism’ style captures the essence of childhood, family, and romanticism with a remarkable blend of neutral tones and vibrant splashes of colour. His canvases exude a unique inner glow, meticulously crafted through his mastery of light and shadow manipulation.

Drawing from his own poignant memories of growing up amidst the industrial landscapes of Northern England, Bob infuses each artwork with a profound sense of nostalgia. Whether depicting scenes of camaraderie among factory workers or intimate moments shared on cobbled streets, his paintings resonate deeply with collectors who appreciate the genuine emotion embedded within his brushstrokes.

Bob Barker is one of our most popular artists; one of the reasons for this is his use of nostalgia in his paintings, which warms us all as it takes us back to the freedom of being young. He’s continued this with the Summer 2023 works from his From Yesterday to Here collection, ‘Tiddlers’ and ‘Whacky Racers’, which re-create his own joyous, playful Yorkshire childhood.

Although Bob has been painting for many years, he still embraces the continuous learning process, pushing the qualities of oil paint to gain knowledge of how the medium can be manipulated in a myriad of techniques to create visual effects. Bob’s style uses a limited colour palette which enables viewers to understand the nuances of the colours he uses, creating an infinite tonal variation and enhanced contrast. This is what gives the images their very subtle colour shift in their monochromatic tones.

Wielding a near monochrome palette that is alive with dark, intense shadows and pure white light, allows Barker to create an immense depth within each piece. However, it is not just the light that makes these pieces of artwork stand out, it is the poignancy of the memories it evokes, the nod to day to day living, and the stories that drive this pieces.

A Yorkshire man born and bred, nostalgia spurs him to paint the early years he remembers with such fondness. Viewed in its entirety, his collections illustrate and preserve forever key life themes and values. In capturing these moments in time, Bob has produced some of his finest work to date; a combination of the experienced artist painting from the heart, and paying respect to the north that made him the man he is today.

Yorkshire artist Bob Barker is hugely popular with his collectors because of the intimate relationship his art makes with them. Bob has brought three new limited-edition works to Castle Fine Art, one of which, ‘Could Be A Keeper’, can be personalised. The man is writing on the side of the camper van, stopping to make a memory; one that will last forever in your own personalised piece, hand-painted by our artisan.

Northern Impressionist Bob Barker returns with more additions to his From Yesterday to Here series reflecting life and love in his beloved Yorkshire, his family, friends and memories. His signature grisaille style of grey monochromes is highlighted with vibrant colour, infusing the images of the northern towns and cities he loves with great warmth, wit and humanity. 

For artist Bob Barker, Northern Light represents a lifetime of observations channelled into a collection more than a year in the making. The acclaimed painter, famed for his evocative representations of northern mill towns and his self-styled ‘Northern Impressionism’, takes us on a journey to the stone flags and cobbled streets of his youth, capturing the industrial footprint of such northern towns and cities. These tableaus serve as Bob’s visual memoirs, inspired by the childhood that shaped him and refined by eyes that have experienced life.

Celebrating Bob Barker's 15 years as an artist with us, 'From Yesterday to Here' is an extraordinary book that traces the artist's incredible journey and some of his most critical artworks, themes and inspirations. Alongside this amazing text, displayed in a deluxe slipcase, is a small exclusive limited edition artwork from the accompanying collection.

Bob's latest bronze work accompanies his series of limited edition prints and began with an initial, intricate sketch. Explaining the meaning behind the initial piece, he says: “I believe a boy’s first hero is his dad. As he grows, even if his dad hasn’t got his hand, he’s got his back. Just knowing Dad is there means you can achieve anything."