His illustrated works include The Story of the Walnut Tree, Silent Night, Holy Night: The Story of the Christmas Truce, and The Nauvoo Temple Stone.

[5] Besides being a professor, he has also served as associate dean of the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Barrett also co-authored a BYU Studies article on the lives and art works of Arnold Friberg, Harry Anderson, Tom Lovell, and Ken Riley with Susan Easton Black.

He has made many drawings, some of which are based on accounts from the Book of Mormon, and paintings of events in the ministry of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament.

Barrett is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served a Mormon mission to Germany.