Photography allows for the exploration and alternate perception of our daily environment. What touches me most, is seeing the transformation of a priori insignificant objects into meaningful and beautiful ones. My pictures are the result of a wandering and wondering state of mind. My interest expanded to other visual art practices: collages and paintings. In the collages that can be “classic” (paper and glue) or digital, I can pick colors, shapes, models, objects, sceneries. This allows me to use the images made by other artists and incorporate them into mine. This is a common artistic approach, in which the art of someone else resonates in us and can be revisited. I also started painting, experimenting with different types of paints: water color, acrylics, oil paints, inks. My paintings represent sceneries inspired by cities and seashores or ideas summarized by symbols. As I view photography as creating a picture from multiple “outsides”, I view painting as creating one from multiple “insides”. While most of my work is photography, some images are the results of several ones. Combining photography, sometimes images from magazines and paintings through digital processing allows to apply and discover in a fast way various changes a picture can go through, and the different meanings it can convey. By assembling several images, I summarize in one, emotions, stories inspired by personal events.

I am interested in creating objects and sculpture that capture tenuous moments. The spontaneity and whimsy that develops through the process of repetitive manipulation and stress upon materials such as glass, wood, paper and metal has always captured my curiosity. I am interested in the moments where a material is mutated but not yet completely transformed or destroyed--the space where new patterns emerge. I am interested in the relationship of these patterns with one another and with myself, as an artist and an observer. 

I studied architecture at UC Berkeley and graduated with a BA in Environmental Design. Since then I've practiced architecture, interior and graphic design and fine art in the bay area.

My subjects include portraits, landscapes, pets and male figurative images. I express the passion I find in my subjects with color and texture and render shade and shadow to emphasize light. I think of shapes as topography, irrespective of the subject.

Several years ago I adopted a mixed breed dog and named her Kama. As a result I embarked on my pet portrait business, PetPicasso.Net with Karma as the CEO (Canine Executive Officer) I’ve included many of the commissions on this site.

In 2008 David Leddick published three of my figurative paintings in two of his pictorial anthologies, “The Nude Male 21st Century Visions” and “Gorgeous Gallery.” David included the following with the paintings:

“Boldly impressionist and highly charged with color, David Barnett is the 21st century’s connection back to artists of the turn of the last century like Renoir. The human form is his subject but he finds shapes and colors there through his artist’s eye that reveal to us things not seen or noticed before.”

Cheers,

 David

I am primarily a landscape painter. I specialize in trying to paint reality; painting what I see as accurately as possible and trying to capture a real moment.

Last November, I took a plein air painting trip to the suburbs of Vegas thinking I would capture some great housing subdivisions. After a lot of hard-work and travel (and some enjoyable sight-seeing), the paintings did not turn out as well as expected. Disappointing.

Back at home, I decided to paint fruit and veg in the studio. Generally I paint still lifes every year for auctions or whatever, but this turned into a whole series.

My sister was always telling me to get rid of stuff. "Take a picture of it and then get rid of it." I added some objects to the pictures but I did not get rid of the objects.

I am pleased with the results. It is still painting reality, but easier--much easier. And you can eat some of the stuff when you are done.

In learning to draw, one learns to see. An artist must become an accomplished observer of detail, then be brave and bold to put it to paper, pen sometimes quivering in hand. the rewards are much more than artwork, for the Universe not noticed before appears in your line of vision in all of its wonder and glory. It was there all the time, waiting for you to see it. Now, start drawing"
"To paint is to love, and to love is to live again." Henry Miller

 These images are photograms that were exposed by the light of the full moon, hence the term “lunagram.”  Using vintage discontinued gelatin silver paper, I created my Lunagrams with found plant life collected on land in a remote area of the Sierra Foothills, where a beautiful creek supports a wide diversity of flora. Since the closest city is over 30 minutes away, the light of the full moon is the only illumination that can be detected in the dead of the night.  This creates an ethereal presence on the rich vintage paper that I use to craft these images.