Bob Barker

Bob’s loyal collectors are touched by the genuine feeling of nostalgia that each of his artworks evokes. His childhood memories – including riding scooters with his friends and walking home from school to the mill where his mother worked as a weaver – influence his industrial scenes, which feature themes of work, love and friendship. 

Elements of his work can be likened to those of some of Britain’s most important artists. His factories and smoking chimneys echo L.S. Lowry’s industrial landscapes, while his street scenes and figurative tableaus may resonate with fans of Harold Riley. Similarly to the Polish-British painter Josef Herman, Bob focuses on the working-class, celebrating the bonds that can be created through shared experiences.

Bob's family are central to his work, with his grandchildren inspiring some of his characters. Another inspiration is the light he believes is unique to the north of England. Where others see soot-blackened brick and polluted skies, Bob sees light and colour; capturing a warm glow in the moonlight, windows and streetlamps. He explains: “When I paint, it’s almost as if this northern light pours from my brush onto the canvas. It transforms everything it touches, from the cobbled streets to the terraced houses, mills and back alleyways.”

To create his atmospheric scenes, Bob uses traditional techniques, including sfumato. Often seen in Renaissance paintings, this involves softening the transition between colours so they appear to evaporate like smoke. Artistic influences also include the Victorian landscape painter John Atkinson Grimshaw, the Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt, the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, and the English Romantic painter J.M.W. Turner.

In recent years, Bob has experimented with different styles and mediums, including personalisable prints, sculptures and circular compositions. He has also begun to incorporate more colour through details such as raincoats, balloons and his signature motif of two red hearts. Exhibited at institutions like Leeds City Museum, his heartwarming artworks have raised money for charities such as the Jo Cox Foundation and One In A Million, establishing him as one of Britain’s best-loved artists.

His new collection and first-ever hardback book, collectively titled From Yesterday to Here, celebrates 15 years with our publisher, Washington Green. Bob says: "The safe, warm feeling of revisiting childhood memories through adult eyes is what keeps me in front of the canvas. This is not just something I love, or want to do: I have to paint." 

Shop Bob's latest limited edition prints here.