About
About
About Kayla Barker
Kayla Barker is an award-winning and published film photographer based in Midland, Texas that travels around the world for her commissioned work. Kayla uses film cameras, old and new, that range from $40 to
$4,000 as her medium to photograph places and details that inspire her. Kayla especially loves the
nostalgic look of film for her work.
Her fine art film photography is available for purchase as signed limited edition fine art prints on museum quality fine art Hahnemule photo rag paper. Each print is signed and numbered by Kayla Barker and comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Kayla also offers her photography as wax infused photographs which are encapsulated with a mixture of hot beeswax and tree sap and enhanced with oil paint. This process, known as encaustic, is one of the oldest forms of painting. Kayla uses encaustic to fuse together her realistic view of the world and parts of her imagination. She layers and distorts the wax to bring texture, depth and feeling to her photographs and art.
Small glimpses captured on film and forever documented in how they existed at that time, Kayla’s artwork is an expression of how she views the world. Through her work, she lets the past continue to live on and evoke emotions in the present.
Statement
Statement
Artist Statement
My work is an expression of how I view the world. Small glimpses captured on film and forever documented in how they existed in that present time. Preserving a little piece of history through my lens, I work with film cameras, old and new, to photograph places and details that move me. Through my work, I let the past continue to live on and evoke emotions in the viewer.
In my desire to preserve these memories even more, I use encaustic wax to preserve my photographs and other found items. Encaustic wax medium is an old form of painting and preserving and I use it to fuse together my realistic view of the world and parts of my imagination. I layer and distort the wax to bring texture, depth and feeling to my photographs and art. My desire is to take something that is flat and breathe life back into it through texture.
“Just like life, my work is messy, imperfect and sometimes distorted, foggy and unclear, but that is what makes it real.”
Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
2007 Associates of Applied Science Summa Cum Laude, Graphic Design for Print, Platt College, Aurora, CO
Awards
2023
Midland Art Association Spring Juried Exhibition
“Pieces of Memories” - Honorable Mention
2021
Midland Art Association Spring Juried Exhibition
“Rain in the Desert” - First Place
2020
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
“Swim” - Best in Show
“Claude’s Bench” - Second Place, Still Life
Midland Art Association Spring Juried Exhibition
“French Swimmers” - Honorable Mention, Mixed Media
2019
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
“Her Inner Secrets” - Second Place, Portrait
2017
Odessa Art Association 59th Annual Juried Art Exhibition
“Feme & Flora" - Honorable Mention, Mixed Media
2015
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
“Shadows” - Third Place, Mixed Media
The Knot Magazine Best of Weddings Hall of Fame
2014
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
“A Fresh Start” - Second Place, Mixed Media
Mod Wedding Best Photographer 2014
2007
Student of the Year in Art & Design from the Colorado Private School Association, Meritorious Recognition
PRESS
Belle Lumiere Issue XXII
The Art of Photo Encaustic
Wax Fusion October 2019
International Encaustic Artists
Trouvé Magazine Online
Kayla Barker: Encaustic & Photography
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
June 25, 2020
Kayla Barker’s Studio, Texas
“European Summer”
March 25-May 1, 2016
Midland Community Theatre Gallery, Texas
“Glimpses of Dreams”
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
March 21-June 11, 2023
Midland Art Association Spring Juried Exhibition
Museum of the Southwest, Texas
“Pieces of Memories”, “Buried Memories”
July 12-21, 2021
Midland Art Association Showcase
Baker Schorr Fine Art, Texas
May 27-August 8, 2021
Odessa Art Association 63rd Annual Juried Art Exhibition
Ellen Noel Art Museum, Texas
“Brave”
April 22-June 27, 2021
Midland Art Association Spring Juried Exhibition
Museum of the Southwest, Texas
”Rain in the Desert”, “Beachgoers”, “Relaxing Summer Day”
October 15-November 7, 2020
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
“Claude’s Bench”, “Swim” - Best in Show Winner
May 1-June 1, 2020
Midland Art Association Spring Juried Exhibition
Museum of the Southwest, Texas
“French Swimmers”
Cont. selected EXHIBITIONS
October 10-November 15, 2019
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
McCormick Gallery, Texas
“Hiding From Myself”, “Her Inner Secrets”, “Not Afraid”
September 7-30, 2019
Somerville Toy Camera Festival Juried Exhibition
Nave Gallery Annex, Massachusetts
“Blurred Dreams”
May 9-June 23, 2019
Odessa Art Association 61st Annual Juried Art Exhibition
Ellen Noel Art Museum, Texas
“Desert Camera”, “Crown of Glory”, “Searching for Herself”
April 20-June 16, 2019
Midland Art Association Spring Juried Exhibition
Museum of the Southwest, Texas
“Delicate Beauty”, “Deconstructed Veil”
October 11-November 9, 2018
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
McCormick Gallery, Texas
“Vague Dream”, “The Algarve”
April 20-May 17, 2017
Odessa Art Association 59th Annual Juried Art Exhibition
Ellen Noel Art Museum, Texas
“Feme & Flora", "Reflecting on Former Times"
December 2, 2016-January 29, 2017
Encaustic Exhibition
A Smith Gallery, Texas
“Searching For Herself” - Director's Selection
October 13-November 11, 2016
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
McCormick Gallery, Texas
“Unaware of Her Beauty”
June 2-29, 2016
2016 National Juried Photo Encaustic Exhibition
Sage Gallery Portland, Oregon
“Étretat, France”
May 17-June 12, 2016
Midland Art Association Juried Exhibition “Texas Artists Today”
Museum of the Southwest, Texas
“Swimmers in Nice”
March 3-April 2, 2016
Odessa Art Association 58th Annual Juried Art Exhibition
Ellen Noel Art Museum, Texas
“Chateau of St. Julien l'Ars", "Intimate Reflections"
October 22-November 14, 2015
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
McCormick Gallery, Texas
“Shadows”, “London Tourists”, “Where’s My Ship?”
February 26-March 29, 2015
Odessa Art Association 57th Annual Juried Art Exhibition
Ellen Noel Art Museum, Texas
“The Dream”, “Monet’s Home”
October 9-November 8, 2014
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
McCormick Gallery, Texas
“Two Sides of Me”, “A Fresh Start”
June 6-28, 2014
Somerville Toy Camera Festival Juried Exhibition
Nave Gallery Annex, Massachusetts
“Fredericksburg Flowers No. 2”
May 8-June 1, 2014
Odessa Art Association 56th Annual Juried Art Exhibition
Ellen Noel Art Museum, Texas
“Napa’s Small Valley”, “Baptist Church”, “Fredericksburg Flowers No. 1”
May 1-June 1, 2014
Midland Art Association Juried Exhibition “Texas Artists Today”
Museum of the Southwest, Texas
“Sedona No. 1”
October 11-November 15, 2013
Midland Art Association Fall Juried Exhibition
McCormick Gallery, Texas
“Georgia Railroad”
behind the scenes
encaustic photography process
behind the scenes
encaustic photography process
Commissions
Commissions
Commissioned Work
A select number of commissioned pieces are taken every year.
Contact Kayla for pricing and more information.
Images by Kayla Barker and Sarah Goss Photography