Barnes had been doing art for as long as he could remember and had never stuck to just one medium, rather bouncing around different traditional mediums such as drawing and painting.
He said he drew throughout his school years and it quickly became part of his identity.
“It’s what I was – I was just an artist. One thing leads to another and it’s become my life, my income, my job.”
Barnes said he may have several exhibitions popping up around the country later in the year, and he was currently preparing for the Taranaki Arts Trail in November.
There were 463 entries to the Parkin Prize, and 77 works made the shortlist. The winner will receive $25,000 and there will be 10 highly commended prizes of $500.
The national competition, now in its 12th year, was founded in 2012 and has been supported by arts patron Chris Parkin since then.
The winner will be selected and announced by New Zealand writer, art critic and curator Justin Paton, who is head curator of international art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Paton will announce the winner and highly commended recipients at the gala opening of the Parkin Drawing Prize exhibition at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington on Monday, August 5.
The Parkin Drawing Prize exhibition will run until Sunday, September 1, at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington. For the full shortlist visit parkinprize.nz/
