Al was born in New Jersey and was raised within the New York City Metropolitan area where he learned to appreciate the outdoors by spending a great deal of time hunting and fishing. These activities, no doubt, influenced his decision to pursue academic studies in Environmental Science where he earned a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Forestry and later received a National Fellowship for Doctorate work. After these academic studies, Al became a Forestry-educator and worked in private industry and eventually taught his trade on the post-secondary level.

Without formal art training, he began drawing and painting wildlife scenes to assist his teaching curricula. He has been greatly influenced by the works of Milton Weiler and Don Stone, A.N.A. Presently as a full-time artist, Al specializes in smaller sized paintings completing works in both oil and watercolor as well as rendering many small editions of etchings.

Al is one of a few artists that have continuously exhibited at the Easton Waterfowl Festival, Easton, Maryland since its inception over twenty years ago. Al has won premier art competitions and principal exhibitions including the Grand National American Artists Professional League, New York, Greenwich Workshop Galleries, Connecticut and California, Settlers West Arizona, Gallery I, Ohio, and Salmagundi Club, New York. In the spring of 2006 he won the Alden Bryan Memorial Award for Traditional Landscape at the Salmagundi Club's annual exhibition.  He has won over fifty awards and has work in many collections including the White House. Mr. Barker's work can be seen in almost every National Miniature Exhibition in the continental United States.

"The small towns and villages and wildlife which border and utilize the tidal marshes/estuaries have always interested me. The seasonal influence as well as the daily tidal changes constantly create interesting color patterns. I think the changing color is the most important aspect which influences me. After completing a painting I want people to say to themselves 'I have been there and seen that'."