Painting is my breath, my delight, struggle and torment.

Anne Packard

"My paintings are the evidence of my love affair with Nature. "

-- Kim Canfield Barrick

Kim Barrick (b. 1960) is as diverse and complex as the work she creates. The artist deflects labels, challenges authority, and pursues knowledge and skills endlessly. Barrick's art has been described as impressionistic, representational, and expressionistic; "alive with light and filled with movement," words that could be applied to their creator as well.

Drawing and painting from the earliest years remained a thread woven into adulthood. Though, never exposed to great art, artists, or museums while young, Barrick recalls vividly discovering the Louvre’s Impressionist collection. "I was 22 years old having had no real experience of modern art, except from photographs in books. The small building across from the Palace drew me in, after viewing the overwhelming collection in the main museum. The way the paint was used by these rebellious artists was breathtaking. I tried to run my fingers over the thick passages of a Van Gogh. Mesmerized, I did not notice the guard that was quick and polite that day, but left no question that touching was a not okay. I have never been the same since."

Yet it was only after a decade in the banking business, then completing one of two Masters Programs that Barrick gave into her passion. A chance class painting the landscape outside changed her world. “I now am part of these landscapes I've been painting the last 10 years and am at peace with who I am.” Barrick continues to embrace the evolution of her work and life, finding light and shadow in every experience. “Nature is chaos in motion. Better to paint it and be humbled than to watch with only wonder and regrets. Life seems to echo that truth. I say, dive in and be astounded. ”

Never a follower, Barrick believes her fresh style is a result of focused self-experimentation, exposure to a community of exciting modern outdoor painters and her own thirst for knowledge. Recognized in SantaFean Magazine, June/July 2008 “Top Talent” article, this award-winning artist, is also a sought after instructor teaching workshops in plein air painting and still life. A native of Colorado and resident of Tennessee, Barrick travels West frequently and maintains homes in both states. Her numerous artworks are held in private and corporate collections from coast to coast and Europe including Anchorage, Aspen, Atlanta, Cape Cod, Chicago, Denver, Florida, Houston, Los Angeles, Manhattan, Nantucket, Santa Fe, as well as Austria and Germany.

Barrick is a passionate supporter of the land she loves to paint and has given generously to local environmental/preservation groups as an artist and board member including, The Nature Conservancy, The Continental Divide Land Trust, The Land Trust for Tennessee, and Radnor Lake Natural Area among others. In 2001 she founded The Chestnut Group, "Plein Air Painters for the Land," a non-profit group of 150+ artists, dedicated to preserving open spaces www.chestnutgroup.org.

Works in Corporate Collections