peace, comfort, inspiration, joy

Kenny Barfield is a self-taught pastelist living in South Georgia whose work is rooted in a love of the outdoors. Working primarily in soft pastels, he brings a quiet realism and luminous detail to the subjects that surround him—wildlife, beloved pets, and the coastal and marsh landscapes of the region. From a chocolate Lab resting beside a decoy to a powerful black horse, a wood duck with wings spread, or a child exploring the water’s edge, his paintings capture fleeting, intimate moments with careful attention to light, texture, and atmosphere.

Drawn to the natural world and everyday scenes that feel both personal and universal, Kenny finds inspiration in the rhythms of life and the quiet beauty of its shores and wetlands.

His art invites viewers to slow down and look closely—whether at the soft sheen of a horse’s coat, the play of light on water, or the gentle presence of a pet at rest—celebrating the ordinary and the wild with warmth and precision.

Pastels became Kenny’s primary medium because of the pure, vibrant pigment and the remarkable control they offer. Soft pastels allow him to build rich layers of color while still preserving the delicate transitions of light and shadow that define fur, feathers, water, and sky. The direct, tactile nature of the medium—working pigment straight onto the surface with fingers, tools, or sticks—creates a sense of immediacy and softness that feels especially suited to the subjects he paints.

He is drawn to the way pastels can move effortlessly between precise detail and atmospheric suggestion. That balance lets him capture both the sharp focus of an animal’s eye and the gentle haze of a coastal morning or a cloudy marsh sky. For Kenny, pastels are not just a tool but a natural extension of how he sees the world: luminous, textured, and full of beauty.