Gordon Barker, Biography

"I was born in Gibraltar in 1960. My father was in the army so we moved a few times over the years until we finally settled in Northamptonshire when I was twelve. On leaving school I continued to paint in oil, but I was always experimenting with different materials such as glass. I had a few local exhibitions but also ventured to London with my work. In 1981 I began to paint landscapes for the first time. Initially these were mostly sunsets and silhouettes, but in time I began to paint pictures with more colours and many different subjects. In late 1983 I sold my first painting to a recording company in Milton Keynes. This was just the start and gave me the confidence to promote my work to a wider market. Over the next few years I sold about five hundred originals to companies like MTV Europe, The Gap and also many private collectors, many of these being commissions which have helped to develop my unique style of painting. The landscapes I paint are mostly ones that I�ve created in my imagination. I like to ensure that the pictures are �busy� so that each time they are looked at the viewer notices something else going on. I prefer bright vivid colours that grab people�s attention rather than drab and boring."