Barton
is a recognized artist, inventor-designer, author, writer, and lecturer-teacher
of woodcarving. His personal work is sought by collectors around the world.
At Taft, Barton started the first "Big Brother, Big Sister" program at Taft with
classmate Cynthia Celusta to orient and guid incoming freshmen. He played four
years on the basketball team, track team, and bowling team, and even found time
to set pins at the Edison Park Bowl.
Barton is the only American artist invited to exhibit his style of work in the
Swiss National Museum in Zurich, Switzerland. He has authored eight books on
woodcarving, published and sold in six countries, designed and manufactured
specific tools for woodcarving and invented two new artistic fonts in the field
of calligraphy including a foliated alphabet. He has lectured at the Chicago Art
Institute, taught at the Chicago School of Woodcarving, and founded and directed
the Alpine School of Woodcarving, Ltd.
Barton attended Wright Junior College and Illinois State University, then
traveled to Europe for formal training and studies in the art of woodcarving and
design in Brienz, the famous woodcarving center in the Swiss Alps.
Although he has been awarded first place in every competition entered, Barton’s
focus has always been on teaching and sharing his woodcarving knowledge with
others. He specializes in the decorative form of carving known as chip carving
or kerbschnitzen (notch and/or groove carving). Besides teaching at colleges,
schools, institutions, and organizations across the United States, he has also
taught in Canada, Switzerland, and Norway. He has appeared on The American
Woodshop and The Woodwright's Shop on PBS.