In 2010, San Francisco Bay Guardian readers voted Genea Barnes best emerging artist. She been been showing artwork since 2005 and have shown in San Francisco; Los Angeles; Virginia; and Italy. She currently works and resides in San Francisco.

Though best known for surreal nudes and dramatic portraits, her work has taken a turn. In recent years, she has been been enormously inspired by painters, envious of their ability to put onto canvas what they see and feel. One might describe her new work as "painting with photographs." With the use of Photoshop, she has finally found a way to create the vision within her.