Let's get to know each other
Jaime Barks is a landscape painter whose work is rooted in personal experience and a deep connection to the natural world. Raised in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, her early years spent exploring forests and trails continue to inform the emotional and environmental depth of her paintings.
Barks is a self-taught artist who transitioned from a career in the nonprofit sector to pursue her lifelong dedication to painting. Her work is grounded in real places she has explored, using a combination of on-site sketches and reference photographs to capture not only the visual landscape, but also its atmosphere and emotional resonance.
Barks has exhibited her work at juried festivals, gallery shows, and public art events across the United States. Her paintings are included in both private and public collections. She has served as an artist-in-residence with the U.S. Forest Service in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, as well as at Hot Springs National Park, Stones River National Battlefield, Fire Island National Seashore, and Shenandoah National Park.
Since you have read the formal bio, here is a more causal about me 🤗
Things to know about me
I cuss like a sailor. I read a ton of books and love murder podcasts.
Being outside is my jam. I love camping, hiking, backpacking, and riding my e-bike.
My paintings are based on real places.
I express the emotional experience rather than the physical reality of spending time in nature.
I don’t have formal art training;
my undergrad is in communications. I spent almost a decade working in the non-profit world before becoming a professional artist.
I am currently (slowly) section hiking the Appalachian Trail.
I have had multiple opportunities to be an artist in residence with the National Park Service, and it's my favorite thing ever.