Barry Atkinson an Artist in Film

This film trailer was written and directed by Barry Atkinson, in Canada. It is available through Amazon Please click here. Barry also directed a short Film ("Into Darkness") which screened at the Sundance film festival in 1998 which is a bonus feature on the DVD. Besides this, he is presently writing a couple of film scripts and plans to shoot a short next year.

For those who are not familiar with Barry, he is one of our featured blog artists. Drop by his blog. Its a good one.

Welcome to the World of Barry Atkinson

There is a special place in my heart for the animation artists who work behind the scenes to create films such as The Lion King. These artists are for the most part are unknown but yet their works thrill the imaginations of both children and adults alike.

Barry Atkinson, is one such artist. He has worked for The Walt Disney Studios, Dreamworks, and Don Bluth as an animating artist.

Barry grew up in an artistic environment.He was born in Ottawa and is the son of artist Vic Atkinson, whose work also appears on this blog. (check the list of artists in the right column).

Barry launched out into an art career at the age of 20 and his journey has taken him from being a background designer to being an artistic director.

His brush was engaged in the production of The Lion King, Prince of Egypt, an American Tail, and Fantasia.

Take a look at the picture at the top of this posting. It is so typical of Barry's work. Barry is noted for his ability to effectively manage soft light, vibrant colours and powerful designs. He works in acrylics, gouache and oils. And his Japanese Garden paintigs works are mysterious, spiritual, and sublimely peaceful.


You are invited to check out Barry's blog by clicking here.

Bridge to Solitude by Barry Atkinson

Bridge to Solitude, by Barry Atkinson teases my imagination. Its one of six paintings in his Japanese garden set.

I find that many traditional Asian artworks hang in a land suspended by the notes of an Eastern musical instrument. They exist. They say little. They are caught in a place where time is suspended.

Bridge to Solitiude as has lot to say in a gentle way, and it says it well. There is a visual pathway, up the tree trunk, over the bridge, up the waterfalls towards the moonlight. This is a subdued place, where mood is created by misty diffused light. The scene emerges out of mist. Is there something beyond the mountain? Who really cares? Maybe there's nothing. It's all so mystical.

But yet, the hand of man is all over it.

This is a cultured, refined and manicured world. This is a world of control and design. It doesn't just happen. The tree has no surplus branches - there are no twiggy bits that don't belong. There is no chaos. No ramdom pieces that tear your clothes or scratch your skin. Even the rocks which peer down on the garden below are softened by moss.

It's all so graceful for this is a world of soft, rounded contours. It's a world of peace. And, it's a world where you hang somewhere in a controlled, meditative suspension.

There is no violence in this world. No sound of stumbling feet, No sounds period. There are no people.

This is a world of misty blue. Blue is said to be the oriental colour of spirituality. Light plays its magic with blue notes.

I like the interconnectiveness of light in this work. The, moonlight, the bridge, the pathway and the touches of light which sparkle on the tops of plants. It's a place where you would expect, twinkling, dancing spirits.

It looks like our world, but it's so designed that it gives the viewer a sense of profound peace and timelessness - as if the artist, has had a vision of some place - eternal. A place prepared for us. A mystical Shangrila - where you can sit forever in the lotus position and contemplate the divine.

While it would seem complete to end my critiquing here, there is something more to it than meditative otherworldliness. The perfect roundness of the bushes, give it an ethereal, almost cinematic quality. But then again, that's what we should expect from Barry - for his personal life story is rich with his work with Disney and with the film arts.

Nicely painted Barry.

Look for Barry's personal story and other works in a not too distant blog entry.