Ian Barrett Art is the personal online platform of Ian Barrett, a talented individual artist who expresses his creativity through vibrant and captivating paintings. With a deep passion for art, Ian strives to create original artworks that inspire and evoke emotion.

Ian was born in the East End of London and from a very young age developed a love of the visual arts. As a young child, much of his time was spent wearing out sets of colouring pencils and felt tip pens. At his primary school he became renowned for producing a series of colourful comics and magazines – all made by hand – which were passed around the different classrooms and the staff room.

Although Ian didn’t pursue his art in secondary and higher education, he later became a primary school teacher and then a university lecturer, training new teachers. Both these roles often provided many opportunities for him to use his artistic and creative skills.

In recent years, as a result of his own personal challenges, Ian has become passionate about using art as a powerful therapeutic tool to improve mental wellbeing and health. He is a great advocate of the concept of mindfulness, which focusses on keeping the mind in the present and shutting out past regrets and future worries. Some of his work employs neurographic art techniques, as well as zentangles and doodling.

You will see that all of Ian’s art displays forms of abstract expressionism, using bold and vivid colours, as well as a range of shapes and intricate patterns. He has a good eye for very fine details, which are ideal for practising the whole process of being mindful. He has also recently started to use various photography Apps to add effects and elements of psychedelic art to some of his work. Ian also believes that by using a mindful approach to his art, he is able to express his inner feelings about a wide range of subject matters and life experiences. So, what might on the surface appear to be a composition of colourful shapes and patterns, frequently is an expression from his inner self and thoughts.

Ian uses a wide range of art materials and media, including: - 

• Acrylic paints and pens
• Watercolour paints
• Coloured, graphite and charcoal pencils
• Watercolour pencils
• Water-based paint pens
• Dual brush pens and a range of felt tip pens
• Fineliner pens and other black marker pens
• Oil pastels and soft pastels

For mark-making Ian uses a variety of brushes, palette knives, sponges, rags, stencils and templates.