Hello all lovers of fine art!
My name is John Brain, and I currently reside on the Mid-North Coast of NSW Australia.
I paint in both oils and acrylic, and enjoy painting in four main art categories: Portraits, Waterscapes, Landscapes and Surreal Settings.
For a large part of each year I visit the USA, painting and exhibiting my Blue Bonnets series.
In reference to Portrait Painting, I have entered the Archibald Prize for 18 years since 2003 and painted the Governor General Michael Jeffrey in 2007, Doug Walters 2010, Michael Yabsley 2016 and Leo Berkelouw 2018 to name a few. My portrait of the Governor General, Michael Jeffrey, is hanging in the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth.
From 2020 to 2023, I was President of the Bowral Art Gallery (BDAS) and tutored portrait painting. I chose to tutor in portrait painting, because I strongly believe that a portrait painted by anybody, whether an accomplished artist or a beginner, will bring joy to somebody and be their most cherished possession. I have continued tutoring in portrait painting with online workshops.
Apart from portraits, I have had many sell out exhibitions painting waterscapes, landscapes and surreal settings. In all of my paintings, I aim for a uniqueness that creates the desire in the viewer to delve deeper into the subject. For example with my waterscapes, I love painting reflections of dinghies, poles, jetties and other objects in surreal settings with different moods and light.
In 2015 after moving from Sydney to Bowral NSW, I set up and managed the Bespoke Art Gallery. A gallery that exhibited many local artists, and raised money for a variety of local charities.
View a selection of my art:
