SUGGEST, IMPLY & ENGAGE
ABOUT ME
Hello, I am Brian.
I’m an artist who paints, tutors and writes with a fascination and passion for watercolour.
The main body of my work focuses on Watercolour because I am absorbed by its flexibility.
I am in my studio before 9am – coffee machine on! The main body of my time is spent painting. I have also gained great satisfaction from 30 years teaching watercolour, demonstrating in the form of zoom, in person and workshops.
A few years ago I attended a framing workshop to enable me to bespoke my own paintings which I get a great sense of achievement. From seeing my work grow from a blank sheet of paper to a finished painting then framing it myself with my chosen choice is complete satisfaction.
Watercolour intrigues me. Painting is my language of expression; to engage with a viewer for a moment in time, usually with human contact. This represents the fabric of my work, distilled emotion, capturing the essence… you have to ‘feel’ it.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
I am always seeking to find a twist in what initially appears ordinary, as daily life evolves.
A glimpse of light or a particular set of circumstances may suggest an initial idea, which will then develop in my mind to form a painting.
Sometimes, I work plein air (outdoors) or from a sketchbook, where initial ideas from my own images or from studio exercises, can develop into a finished artwork.
I seek to engage with the viewer, to create a narrative that draws attention. I am looking for collective shapes and tonal value. Detail is hinted at, not stated, I do not wish to compete with the camera.
I look for objects that form a collective shape within a composition. For me, tone is more important than colour.
I am constantly pushing myself, adapting and developing techniques.
I use a butter knife to move and create texture within wet pigment. A scalpel to scratch and leave highlights in dry colour.
Pigment levels vary from minimal to maximum. As with water, from extremely thin to the consistency of butter, almost straight from the tube. I prefer not to use masking fluid.
Figures form a very important pillar of my work due to my background as a Freelance Illustrator.
I am able to adapt and create a narrative to suit my needs.
Structure in the form of architecture or landscape feature as the supporting cast or the focus of a painting - it all depends on what I am trying to say. Wherever possible, I like to let the pigments play on the surface of the paper. I see life in shadows and suggest and imply, allowing the viewer to interpret what they see.
HOW MY JOURNEY BEGAN
I spent 25 years as a Freelance Illustrator in Soho London. This allowed me to develop all the tools that I now use in the fine art world.
Figures were fundamental to the narrative of the commercial advertising world, which now form the fabric of the images that I strive to capture; Travel and the daily life of our world are the bricks and mortar of my work.
In 2020 I was fortunate enough to become a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour. Then a signature of member of the San Diego Watercolour Society in 2023.
Memberships
Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour - RI (2020)
San Diego Watercolour Society – SDWS (2023)
Awards
RWS 2011 - Artists Award
RI 2011 - Matt Bruce Award
RWA 2016 - Best Watercolour
RSMA 2016 - Sea Pictures Award
Windsor Castle Plein Air 2017 - Peoples Choice Award
Artbox 2017 - Finalist Basel Switzerland
Artbox 2020 - Semi Finalist Barcelona
RSMA 2020 - James Fletcher-Watson Award
RI 2020 - Elected Member
RI 2022 - RK Burt Award
San Diego Watercolour Society 2023 - Elected Signature Member
San Diego Watercolour Society 2023 - Jean Waters Memorial Award
Publications
International Artist Magazine 2011 - Issue 77 Feature Article
The Art of Watercolour 2011 - Issue 26 Feature Article
The Art of Watercolour 2021 - Issue 41 Feature Article
The Artist 2012 - In Conversation
The Artist 2020 - March/April & May Feature Articles
The Artist 2021 - September/October/November Feature Articles
SUBMISSIONS FOR MAJOR EXHIBITIONS IN THE UK, EUROPE & USA
RI 2023
San Diego - USA Open 2023
RI 2022
RI Open 2021
RSMA 2021
BSA 2021
Artbox Project Exhibition 2020 - Barcelona, Spain
San Diego - USA Open 2021
RI Open 2020
RSMA 2020
San Diego, USA Open 2019
RI Open 2019
RWA 2019
San Diego - USA Open 2018
RI Open 2018
RI Open 2017
Windsor Castle Plein Air 2017
Lakeland Artists Exhibition 2017
Artbox Project Exhibition 2017 - Basel, Switzerland
Art Gemini 2016 Exhibition - Asia House, London
RI Open - London 2016
RSMA Open - London 2016
RWA - Bristol 2016
RI Open - London 2015
RBA Open - London 2014
RI Open - London 2014
RWS Open - London 2011
RI Open - London 2011
Sunday Times Watercolour Exhibition 2011 - London.