John Baran

I am an artist and photographer based in Santa Barbara, California. My work can be found in stores and galleries throughout California and Hawaii, and I have exhibited internationally in locations including New York, Brussels, and Busan, South Korea. My art has also been featured on the sets of Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I., and the upcoming HBO series Ke Nui Road.
Photography is a central part of my creative process and often takes me around the world. Time spent with animals in their natural environments directly informs my wildlife paintings. Through photographing, sketching, and observing behavior, I translate those encounters into works that feel vibrant, energetic, and alive. I have swum alongside killer whales, sharks, giant manta rays, manatees, and dolphins, and on land I have walked among white rhinos, Cape buffalo, leopards, lions, American alligators, black bears, and African elephants.
Alongside my wildlife work, I create abstract paintings that are equally rooted in nature. These pieces are inspired by landscapes, oceans, light, movement, and the emotional experience of being immersed in the natural world. Rather than depicting specific subjects, my abstract work explores color, rhythm, and atmosphere, allowing nature’s ...

Masters of Landscape Architecture
Cornell University

I run my own gallery in Santa Barbara, CA.