Hello Friend 💙
Artist Bio
Jaime Barks grew up roaming the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Those countless hours she spent wandering the woods as a child are evident in her work. After nearly a decade working in the non-profit world, Jaime decided to pursue her childhood love of art. She seeks to bring her passion for the natural world to people by reminding them to stop and experience their surroundings. Her work is based on places she has been, she uses a combination of reference images and sketches done on location to capture the feeling of a place. Living in Chattanooga’s North Shore provides her countless opportunities to experience nature from running on the walking bridge to hiking on Stringer's Ridge. Since making the leap into the life of a full-time artist Jaime has shown work at various art festivals, gallery shows, juried events, and public art displays. Her paintings are in both private and public collections. She has also had the opportunity to be an artist in residency with the US Forest Service in Alaska, Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Stone River National Battle Field in Murfreesboro, TN, and Shennandoah National Park in Virgina.
Things you should know about me:
I have a fancy formal artist bio below BUT those can be boring so here is a more fun way to get to know me better.
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 do small watercolor studies and take photos when I am out adventuring. I use these photos and sketches to create my studio work.
My paintings are a hyper-saturated dream-like interpretation of how it feels to be outside.
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.
My favorite book of all time is “The signature of all things.” My favorite poet is Mary Oliver (duh). My favorite play list is Sad Girl Autumn. Schitts Creek is my favorite TV show followed by Gilmore Girls, which I have watched an embarrassing amount of time.
Now that you know me a little better take a look around and let me know if you have any questions.
Let's Get to Know Each other
My paintings are based on real places. When I'm exploring the woods, I create sketches that serve as the foundation for my finished acrylic paintings. Expressionism over photorealism.
