Barry van Gerbig was born in West Palm Beach and has lived in London and Vermont. He came to art as an escape from pressures of the real world, having worked in TV production, public relations, and sales. Barry worked with at-risk youngsters, which led him to painting in the evenings as an outlet for the day’s emotions. Encouraged by an art collector, he organized his first exhibit. Some of his originals are now in the hands of well-known collectors and he creates a women’s line of printed resort wear with his wife Lilly. Barry’s tropically inspired artwork depicts a fantasy world of animals that is simultaneously primitive, sophisticated, and fun.