Blue Mystery

John Barney, United States

John Barney is an abstract-expressionist artist in the Los Angeles area. A fan of art his whole life, he’s visited galleries across the country. He incorporates many of the characteristics he’s observed from the paintings he's admired - namely color, texture, and psychological dimension. Influences include French palette knife painter Christian Jequel, Leroy Neimann and visionary artist Bill Martin. Though holding graduate degrees in psychology, he's a self-taught artist, not bound by convention or formal training. He's been called a master of "psychological dimension" - the way a work of art communicates or evokes feelings or thoughts in the viewer, often subconsciously. John often paints with a palette knife, feeling that texture adds to the emotional impact of a painting and finds the controlled random elements of the knife stroke fascinating. He has won several awards for his paintings. In addition, he's been featured in The Level 25 Art Journal, ARTiculAction Art Review, as well as in Renee Longen's book "Fundamentally Female." John’s work can be found in galleries or regional shows in the southern CA area. He’s also done three solo exhibitions at the invitation of various CA cities. His other passion is music - he's working on his 5th CD and plays with his band, “The Eleventh Floor Band” (11thfloorband.com). John lives in southern California.