Bob Barker’s interest in painting began when his mother gave him an oil painting set for his twelfth birthday. Enamored with his newfound hobby, Barker developed his brush and palette knife technique without the help of formal training. While spending time in Cornwall, England, Barker’s conversations with the renowned artists Keith English and Tom Gower helped him believe that he too could become a full-time professional artist; however, Bob only kept art as a hobby for the next 20 years as he ran his own video and media production company. When his daughter-in-law took over the company, Barker was finally able to pursue painting full-time. In 2000, Barker began selling his painting to local galleries, and with the help and persistence of his older brother, Colin, Barker was able to show his work to a wider range of galleries around the world, including an exhibition in the Autumn Fair in Birmingham.

Many of Barker’s images come from his childhood memories of visiting his mother’s mill, where she worked as a weaver. Barker combines these memories with the historic cottages and roads he sees every day in Yorkshire, where he currently resides.