S. Riley Barr is a painter working at large scale, mainly in acrylic, alongside mixed media and printmaking. His colorful, saturated paintings often begin with old photographs and portraits, drawing out the story and personality behind the image.

Art and sport run in the family. Barr’s father and grandfather were both athletes and artists. His grandfather, Donnie Barr, was a watercolor painter and avid outdoorsman who for a time ran a print shop in Jackson Hole. When the shop closed, he kept his favorite works, and Barr grew up in southeast Idaho surrounded by that collection of Western art.

Baseball took the lead for years. Barr played at New Mexico State University, then professionally in Canada, Germany and Australia. Around the time of Covid he chose to retire and move on to other interests. During Melbourne’s lockdowns he picked up a brush again, and painting soon replaced the passion he’d had for baseball. His first solo show, at Brunswick Gallery, was a huge success. Knowing the work resonated with so many people gave him the confidence to keep going, and it still drives him to create.

After more than a decade overseas, Barr returned to the Mountain West. He now splits his time between Denver, Colorado and Teton Valley, Idaho, where he paints, takes commissions and exhibits locally and internationally.

Artist Statement

I paint the stories photographs can’t always capture.

Many of my paintings start with old portraits and photographs. A camera records how a moment looked. I am interested in how it felt: the personality of the people, the history of a place, the life behind a quiet image. I use color and contrast to bring that back, pushing the palette well past what the camera saw.

I work mostly in large-scale acrylic, alongside mixed media and printmaking. My subject matter changes from one body of work to the next, but the aim stays the same: to paint things the way they feel, not just the way they look.