Barry the Cape Cod Kraken

05/27/2026

Stopped off at the harbor to catch the Woods Hole heading out. Volume up!

05/20/2026

We have a WINNER!

Thank you all for the great pictures; they’re going to be a great help with the book! And thanks for not laughing too much at my attempts at this whole social media video thing. I still feel weird on camera but I’m honestly too tired to care!

05/12/2026

It’s here! The first official Barry the Kraken giveaway! Follow Barry and post your pictures below to enter!👍😀

05/12/2026

05/04/2026

I didn’t set out to create a character like Barry the Kraken.

He wasn’t focus-grouped or AI generated—he came straight out of the ol’ gray matter. No pixels, just paint, brushes, and canvas.
I’m on the autism spectrum, which means I tend to see things a little differently—patterns, angles, how light hits the water, the curve of a hull, the structure underneath what most people just glance at. That way of seeing has always shaped my work, even when painting more traditional maritime scenes.

When I started creating artwork for my grandson, I just followed my imagination. Bending perspective, pushing scale, and painting things that don’t exist (as far as we know). Shy sea serpents and curious cephalopods like Barry. He’s a kraken drawn to music, light, and movement—harmless, curious, and completely unaware of boundaries or his own size. He means well. He just… rearranges things a bit.

In many ways, Barry reflects what it feels like to move through the world a little differently—intense, curious, and occasionally out of sync. Barry is a good reminder that neurodiversity is often goes hand in hand (or te****le) with unique skills and occasionally offbeat creativity.

Curious—what’s something about the way you see the world that shows up in your work?

04/28/2026

UH-OH! Our friend Barry is back — and this time he’s saying a friendly “hello” in Provincetown. Anywhere there are bright lights and music, you may find him peeking in to see what’s happening. And yes… he’s dog-friendly.

This piece was especially fun to create. Some of you may recognize the Lobster Pot from a painting I did a few years ago, now modified, reimagined and incorporated into this scene. Last fall I injured my hip, and recovery has been slow and unpredictable — though I am improving. At times, standing at the easel simply wasn’t possible, so I decided to experiment with drawing on a tablet.

I’ll admit, as a fully traditional artist, I was skeptical. But I quickly discovered how versatile it is — limitless pens, pencils, brushes, and colors, all in one small stylus (and no mess). After some experimenting, I found tools that closely mimic my real-world materials, and even discovered I could import photos of my paintings and build on them. Being able to expand my work this way — even while bed-bound — opened up a whole new creative playground. Too fun!

A Note to All: As you can see, Barry is looking for new friends! To that end, I’ve given him his own page where you can follow along for the latest Barry sightings, updates on his upcoming book, and behind-the-scenes peeks. I’ll be doing giveaways all through May — so follow Barry the Cape Cod Kraken to be the first to hear the announcements and get a chance to win Barry prints, mugs, and tote bags.

03/24/2026

He’s BACK! And on this foggy morning Barry’s set his giant eyeballs on the Barnstable loaded with all those shiny, colorful trucks. But don’t be alarmed - he means no harm. To him, the ferry is just a toy filled with other fun toys.

Where on the Cape do you all think Barry should show up next?

“Shiny Side Up” Painted for my grandson, who loves to play with toy boats and trucks, with thanks to all the kind people who sent photos of their trucks, knowing what Barry had in store for them!😀

Prints available

03/17/2026

Uh-OH! Barry the Cape Cod Kraken has taken over this page! Don't be alarmed, he means no harm. He's just searching for new friends, fun places to explore, and causing unintentional chaos in the process. Watch out - you never know where he'll show up next!

"Call me when you get to the bridge"
Acrylic on Canvas, 11x14, painted for my grandson
Prints available