Brian spent his youth exploring the woods on their family farm in Elgin, Texas. If forced to sit still or go indoors he would draw. His sense of adventure tested his parents when at age eight he began to flag down passing trains. Eventually the train engineer began to blow the train’s whistle in a special signal to let Brian know they were approaching. He was invited to drive the trains and treasures the memory of riding in one of the few cabooses that remained in service at that time.
He spent his teens helping on the family farm and playing football but art was a focus as he took every art class offered in high school. At sixteen, a fortuitous introduction to the wildlife artist, Ken Carlson struck up a mentorship that greatly influenced Brian’s subject matter and approach. Brian harnessed his restless energy and studied art full time, graduating from Austin Community College with a degree in commercial art. He remained in Austin, working as a graphic designer for a sign company for seven years. He enjoyed his time there and used it to perfect a niche for hand painted signs. As technology began to overtake the hand, Brian began to focus more on fine art.
Traditional by choice, Brian prefers a time-honored approach to his painting. Rough thumbnail sketches are developed. Once the final design and sketch is in place, a grid is hand drawn to enlarge to the canvas or board. Charcoal sketched on the board is refined, then a wash of oil paint is used to develop values before the final painting.
Brian makes frequent reference trips to study animals. He paints landscape studies, plein air which he finds crucial to the honesty and air in his paintings. “I can’t bring myself to use a mouse or push a button to make any part of my art when I enjoy the traditional approach so much. I believe something gets lost in translation when you let something get between you and nature.”
