About the Artist
My name is Ryan Barnes! I am a freelance fine artist and illustrator who works and lives in the Skagit County area of Washington state. I work with a combination of traditional and digital mediums but really love acrylic paint, ink, pencil, and doodling on my iPad.
Creativity and art has always played a significant role in my file. As a kid, I always had a backpack on my with a sketchbook and art supplies so I could draw and create no matter where I was. I would draw imaginary worlds, invent characters, and create stories. Art also saved my life when I was an active duty Soldier struggling with mental health.
After leaving the Army, I decided to dedicate myself to the pursuit of art as a career and haven’t looked back since. I absolutely love working as a full time artist and am excited about this journey I am on. Since starting on this journey, I’ve been part of several shows and exhibits, have earned several awards and a scholarship.
I am passionate about what I do and lifting others along the way. My goal is to not only to continue building my career as a visual artist but to also inspire and teach others who are on their own creative journeys.
Artist Statement
I am an ambitious artist who enjoys play and experimentation in my studio practice. I’ve been known to take extensive notes on mediums and techniques I experiment with. The mediums I am most passionate about currently are acrylic paints and digital painting. My style lives somewhere on the spectrum of traditional/expressionism and graphic art.
A lot of my inspiration comes from pop art movement, modernism, and contemporary media (animation/anime, comics/manga, and video games). I look at art history a lot for wisdom and motivation. It really helps me see the different paths artists took to overcome their obstacles giving me ideas on how to overcome my own both on canvas and in the world around me.
My art is really a means of communication, building connections, and processing the world around me. A lot of my art is self-expressive in nature, centering around lived experiences.
Service Poodle Blackberry
More often than not, I am accompanied by my psychiatric service animal Blackberry. She is trained to help to help me with my disabilities and to medically alert. I normally have her wearing her vest when she is working but this isn’t always the case (nor is it legally required) so please be respectful. DO NOT pet or distract her without asking permission first regardless if she is wearing a vest or not. [Read more about service animals on the Americans with Disabilities Act’s official website.]
With that formality out of the way, we can now get into the fun stuff! Blackberry, or “Berry” for short, is a German standard poodle. She is full poodle, though most Americans mistake her for something else because she is smaller than the American standard (whom were bred for size). She is sweet, gentle, and very expressive.