Jim Barlow began painting in 1988, studying art at College of the Siskiyous in Weed, California, before transferring to Humboldt State University to continue his painting education. His early work explored surrealist imagery, using spontaneous mark‑making and dreamlike environments to investigate the subconscious. In the late 1990s, Barlow turned to painting from life with the belief that strengthening his observational skills would deepen the realism of his surrealist work.
Instead, plein‑air painting became his primary artistic language. The challenges and logistics of working outdoors — shifting light, changing weather, and the need for immediacy — transformed his practice. Barlow discovered that painting directly from nature held its own kind of surrealism: an immersive, heightened awareness of place and time. Since 1998, he has focused almost exclusively on capturing the atmospheric light and everyday landscapes of Northern California, particularly the Siskiyou region and the Mt. Shasta area.
His work ranges from intimate 12×16 studies to larger 30×40 canvases, with 20×24 being his most consistent format. Barlow continues to explore the subtle, often overlooked moments in the landscape, creating paintings that reflect both the physical world and the quiet emotional resonance of being present within it.
