Biography
Colin Barton gave up a graphic deign and photography business of 15 years to paint full time. His whole life had been an encounter with painting up until that time and it took some life threatening experiences to make him want to paint. As a youth, he grew up close to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He spent days wondering through the various collections and developed a particular interest in American and French painting. As a boy, summer during the 50's were spent on the coast of Maine near the Ogunquit art colony. Formally, Coin studied painting and drawing tat he museum school of Portland, He did studio work at the Lincoln Art Center for two years and at the University of Wisconsin for four years. He participated, as well, in juried exhibits at the Vila Montalvo in Los Gatos during the 1970's, and more recently at the Concord Art Association. Last year he had a one-man show at Washington Galleries, Duluth MN that was a result of a jury of professional artists.. While living in Madison he showed as much as possible at a multitude of venues including salons, coffee houses, and university venues. Sales of his paintings have taken place through individuals and he is represented in personal collections throughout the United States. Recently a painting was banned from Madison, WI (a nude sitting in a chair with a corn field out the window) and in the last month of his stay in Wisconsin, one of his collectors was victimized by an art thief.
Artist's Statement
Colin's work is an effort to describe the visceral reaction we have of mind, body and spirit to nature and to people around us. The alchemy of painting is used to communicate his thoughts and feelings. Many of his painting are of Wisconsin, but during the last winter he spent time capturing images of the desrt in Arizona. Currently he is working on seascapes, more images of the desert, and picture of people close to him.