About the Process
About the Process
Inspiration
My art begins with inspiration from the natural world. As I adventure through the wilderness I find my way through scenes that move me deeply. When I witness these marvels of nature, I can feel the creative process beginning inside, and in most cases, I know right away when I find a scene I can't wait to paint. It is not always the grandeur of a magnificent vista that attracts me. In many cases, it is the subtleties of light allowing something that may not usually be significant to become an area of great interest. I find it fascinating how nature can put on such a show of variation in short minutes, or even seconds. I do my best to capture these moments through photography on my trips as reference material.
Most of my summers and falls are spent in the mountains backpacking on extended trips with my wife and daughter (and family dog) or by myself. Although I paint throughout the year, in the winter and spring, I focus deeply on my art and find my working groove. I find the colder parts of the year allow me to really hone my focus. As the warmer season comes around, I head back out into the wild to begin anew and rework my inspirations for next year's cold spell.
"The time it takes to get it right so that I am satisfied is crucial to me. I never cut corners, and I never rush my work." - Brendan
Materials and Technique
My painting process begins on high-quality archival stretched canvas. I like the flex of this material and the dimensional appearance. I paint mostly in acrylics and really enjoy the way they allow me to layer the paint. I also paint in oil occasionally and enjoy this also. It's great to switch it up now and then, and I find it helps to continue my improvement of technique. From the feel of mixing, to blocking in color, and eventually working into shadows, highlights, and fine details, I thoroughly enjoy every part of the process. It is truly rewarding bringing the artwork to life. I look for opportunities to grow my technique through every step of painting.
Time and Focus
I take my time with my work. If it takes hundreds of hours to finish a painting, then so be it. The time it takes to get it right so that I am satisfied is crucial to me. I never cut corners, and I never rush my work. If I am not completely satisfied that I did the best possible job I could, then in my opinion, the piece is not a sellable work of art. I put my absolute best efforts into creating this artwork for you (and me) to assure the paintings convey the feelings and imagery I've imagined and truly bring these scenes to life. I value my work very highly and thus, I create my art with high-quality archival materials to ensure these works will last for ages.