Bryce Brown Figurative Artist

Agape - After the Pieta - Complete

2008-04-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Agape 220 x 220 cm (48" x 48")

I have finally completed my painting after Michelangelo's Pieta. You can view my work, titled Agape, at my website. As you scroll down you'll see the painting in various stages of production until finally completed.

http://brycebrownart.com/agape.html

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Agape - Stage 6

2008-04-03T21:03:00.001-07:00

You can view progress on my painting “Agape” here.

Thank you for your interest.

Bryce Brown

Thomas Family Commission

2008-03-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Hello,

This is a commissioned piece of the Thomas Family (61 x 76cm) that I wanted to share with you.

You can see this and other commissioned works here.

I'll continue with Agapé next week, so standby for updates.

I hope everyone is well and rested after the Easter break.

Kind regardsBryce Brown.

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Agapé | 5th stage

2008-03-20T06:25:00.001-07:00

Hello

Please view the very latest photos of my painting “Agapé” here, Once you get to the page, you can click on the image to see more detail. I'll continue after Easter, have a great break!

Regards
Bryce Brown.

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Agapé stage 4

2008-03-16T23:12:00.001-07:00

Hi,

I have completed another stage of Agapé. Click here to view. Painting anatomy to this degree is something very new for me and somewhat of a challenge. Whilst I aim to capture the essence of Michelangelo's Pieta, I'm also carefully maintaining my own style, as well as heightening the emotion of the piece with light and colour.

Regards
Bryce Brown

P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive an email of the posts I make here? This is a quick and easy way to not miss any of my posts. Click here to sign up.

Agapé - after Michelangelo's Pieta | Watch a painting in progress

2008-03-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings

In the year 1500 AD, Michelangelo Buonarotti completed what is said to be one of his most highly accomplished works, the Pietå. He apparently was so pleased with his work that it is the only piece he ever actually signed.

I have always been attracted to the Mother and Child subject, particularly when portrayed as the “Madonna and Child”.

Obviously two of the most important times in the life of Christ were His birth and His death. I have chosen to paint the later, after Michelangelo's Pieta.

Agapé means "love" in modern day Greek. In biblical literature, its meaning and usage is illustrated by self-sacrificing, giving love to all, friend and foe alike.

I have chosen to name the painting Agapé so as not to lament the death of Christ, but to celebrate his sacrifice and to reflect upon what was gained more than what was lost.

You can follow my progress on this painting at this page on my website: www.brycebrownart.com/agape.html

Kind regards
Bryce Brown.

www.brycebrownart.com

+64 7 575 0123

“Bryce is an artist who moves forward in leaps from one painting to the next capturing the essence of his subjects in a distinctive style that is powerful yet subtly moving.”

Denis Robinson. Editor of New Zealand’s Favourite Artists (2007, Saint Publishing).

Bryce Brown Enters the Saatchi Gallery Showdown

2008-03-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hello there, I thought I'd give this a go. The Saatchi Gallery in London hosts an online showdown of artworks, the winner receives a cash prize as well as having their work exhibited at the new gallery. I have entered one of my works from the "Lightly on the Land Exhibition" called "Girl Picking Flowers".

Visit my entry of "Girl Picking Flowers" at the Saatchi Gallery Showdown website and consider voting - and forward it on.

Kind regards,

Bryce Brown.

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Studio Update

2008-03-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

The garage door is finally being replaced by a nice glass sliding door this Easter. Lots of light and no one can call it a garage anymore - it's a studio and nothing but a studio (just have to remember to stop the car at the door!).

I have room to display more works here now, as well as the older works which I posted last week, I also have some recent works which can be viewed on a new page here. All sizes, prices and year created are shown. Please inquire if you'd like to know more, or if you'd like to pop in to 'the studio' to view any of these, or if you'd like me to send a larger, more detailed image. Please note that prices are shown with GST which is applicable in NZ only (less 12.5% for off-shore sales).

I'm nearing the completion of my first commission for the year, so commission inquiries are welcome.

All the best
Bryce Brown.

Bryce and Catherine Brown Featured

2008-02-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

The February edition of "Creative Beat" in the Bay of Plenty Times by Paul Charman featured Bryce Brown and his wife Catherine. Paul kindly gave us permission to reprint the article below.

Cafe culture meets pioneering spirit By Paul Charman
Their responsibilities force this couple to maximise each moment of creative time

Success in the arts demands a mountain of discipline and an ocean of energy. So say an emerging painter and a well known classical and modern dance school operator, who also happen to be husband and wife.

They’re Mount Maunganui identities Bryce and Catherine Brown, whose well-planned days begin with coffee and conversation at 6am and sometimes conclude - for Catherine anyway - well into the early hours of the next morning. This last eventuality is when a dance production is underway and Catherine is intent on having a quiet time to maintain creative flows at the end of a long and arduous day.

Within the mix of daily life the couple support, ransport and exhort four children - aged from toddler to teenager - maintain a large organic vegetable garden, market and maintain their own respective businesses, plan and organise upcoming artistic events and festivals and lobby for tax reform on behalf of small business people (who naturally include artists).

In conversation, far from showing signs of wear and tear, they are brimming with enthusiasm for the lifestyle they have chosen, claiming that working hard at what they love to do leads to a net energy gain, rather than a loss.

“Perhaps in some people’s minds artists are wafty or ethereal types who go with the flow and await inspiration before doing any work,’’ says Catherine.

Adds Bryce: “But the fact is you have to be disciplined if you are going to be an artist, look at Matisse, look at Picasso, or look at just about any of the successful Success in the arts demands a mountain of discipline and an ocean of energy. So say an emerging painter and a well known classical and modern dance school operator, who also happen to be husband and wife. They’re Mount Maunganui identities Bryce and Catherine Brown, whose well-planned days begin with coffee and conversation at 6am and sometimes.

Their responsibilities force this couple to maximise each moment of creative time and there are
quite a few of those.”

He quotes Leonardo da Vinci, to the effect that no work of any consequence is ever produced without constraints on the time of the artist.

The couple agree responsibilities force them to maximise each moment of creative time that comes their way. When it comes to work stamina Bryce reckons that his wife’s far exceeds his own and says her ability to move between the roles of work and domestic life helped to inspire his latest collection of paintings, Lightly on the Land.

Bryce is arrested by the female alchemy that lets a woman care for children, work the land, take care of business, plan for the future and then make herself beautiful to meet the world once again. He sees it all in Catherine.

The former carpet layer is no stranger to hard graft himself, having been able to do a small house in a single day before a hand injury forced him to look at a career change a few years ago. A graphics course at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic gave him the basic skills and confidence to launch out on a long-held dream of becoming a painter.

Bryce grew up on lifestyle blocks around Northland, working for local farmers in the school holidays, and has long been influenced by painters such as Mexican Diego Rivera, famed for his portrayal of the working class. In little more than three years Bryce’s figures - painted in a vibrant modernist style - have begun to attract an international following.

One of his scenes of rural work was purchased by collectors working for the John Deere International fine art collection. Bryce paints from home and is on hand when the older children arrive home from school.

The couple share the house work but Catherine takes sole charge of the garden, at present producing abundant cabbages, courgettes, tomatoes, cauliflowers and herbs. Far from being a recreational interest it’s a strategic move aimed at mitigating the cash flow problems affecting even successful artists. The organic garden also provides the healthy diet necessary to maintain a demanding lifestyle.

When the children were younger do-ityourselfer Catherine used hot water from a chip heater in the back yard to wash some of the daily nappies required.

In professional life she operates The Dance House, which teaches classical ballet and the In Situ Dance Theatre Company, which takes youth on a performance journey, preparing them for stage and film work.

Catherine is proud of a family heritage that comprises artists and writers, dress makers and tradesmen. “Our generation is one in which cafe culture meets pioneering spirit. Whether the next generation of Kiwi children can carry that on is something time alone will tell.”

Creative Beat ~ February 2008 11

Early Works by Figurative Painter Bryce Brown

2008-02-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

Bryce is archiving on his website images of his ealier works from 1999 through 2003. These images give us a great glimpse of where Bryce started out as a figurative painter. His early works, such as "Salvador - (He was at an odd angle when the good news came)" depict a cartoonish quality. This was about the time I met Bryce Brown in Tauranga, New Zealand, and he was starting out on a period of painting figures that were thick-limbed and naively represented.

Auction of Bryce Brown Paintings

2008-01-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

A lot is happening in New Zealand figurative artist Bryce Brown's world at the moment. He currently has his Lightly on the Land exhibition running at which he has sold several paintings alread, but also his wife has moved her dance studio to new digs freeing up a lot of space for Bryce to expand his studio into. With his wings stretched, he is also going through some of his older unsold paintings and is offering them for sale on New Zealand's online auction website "Trade Me".

If you are interested in bidding on Bryce's works, here is a link to his current auctions: Bryce Brown Figurative Art Auction. The auctions run through February 7th, New Zealand time.

Brcye was featured in the 2007 publication of "New Zealand's Favourite Artists" (2007, Saint Publishing), and the editor of the publication commented of Bryce:

Bryce is an artist who moves forward in leaps from one painting to the next
capturing the essence of his subjects in a distinctive style that is powerful
yet subtly moving. Denis Robinson, Editor

Bryce's auction is a unique opportunity to secure one of his works at a competetive market price.

Cherish - Mother and Child Painting

2008-01-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy New Year!

The last painting for the Lightly on the Land exhibition is complete.

We had our 2-year old and 4-year old kids down with chicken pox, then after too much lost sleep, we ended up with terrible tummy bugs and ourselves to look after, so I never thought I'd get this last piece for the exhibition, titled "Cherish", finished!

Please let me know if you'd like to receive your personal invitation to the the preview evening by post and also let me know if you'd like extra invitations for friends, family, co-workers who might be interested.

Please email me with your mailing address. These invitations will also be sent by email in a week or so, the exhibition is only three weeks away!

Kind regards,

Ka kite,

Bryce Brown

Exhibition Images and Season's Greetings from Bryce Brown

2007-12-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the exciting New Year that lies ahead!

Thank you for the contact we have had this year and thanks for appreciating my work!

Lightly on the Land Early preview

All of the exhibition images and information have now been loaded. View them at http://www.exhibition.net.nz/ and please contact Zohar Gallery or myself with your inquiries.There has been a lot of interest in this exhibition, so we have decided to do this early preview, only to our own friends and clients.

“Bryce is an artist who moves forward in leaps from one painting to the next capturing the essence of his subjects in a distinctive style that is powerful yet subtly moving.” Denis Robinson. Editor of New Zealand’s Favourite Artists (2007, Saint Publishing).

Lightly on the Land January Exhibition Zohar Gallery Mt. Maunganui 2008 http://www.exhibition.net.nz/

Lightly on the Land Exhibition

2007-12-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

Bryce will be exhibiting a collection of new works at the Zohar Gallery in Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand, opening on January 25th.

Bryce says of the body of work in the "Lightly on the Land" exhibition:

This is my strongest, most defined and most honest body of work yet. These paintings reflect a lot on the lives of my wife and I. Catherine has an amazing ability to be in the garden up to her knees in dirt, transforming within minutes into the most amazingly beautiful woman who could dine quite comfortably with royalty! This is about New Zealand women who carry an air of realness.

The 2007 book New Zealand’s Favourite Artists features Bryce as one of the sixty artists who are currently impacting on the New Zealand art scene. His images have also been used in the 2008 Calendar of the same name, as well as other various corporate calendars throughout NZ.

This will be Bryce’s eighth solo exhibition. He is a full time artist living in Mount Maunganui with his wife Catherine (who runs The Dance House Tauranga) and their four children.

Victoria Theatre Trust Donation Pledge for Sale of "Journey"

2007-11-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

Bryce Brown here,

Devonport is a quaint neighborhood on the North Shore of Auckland Harbor in New Zealand. There is currently an effort to restore the historic Victoria Theatre, and in support of this effort I have pledged to donate 25% of the proceeds from the sale of my painting "Journey" to the restoraton trust.

I painted "Journey" earlier this year. This painting reflects my fascination with early European New Zealand and is set in Devonport.

Those familiar with Devonport will recognize the hotel on the corner as the old Flagstaff, and in the background is Mt Victoria.

This is an amazing old Theatre - well worth preserving! Be sure to visit the Victoria Theatre Trust website for more information.

Kind Regards,
Bryce.

Studio Price Sale for One Week

2007-11-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

Hello there,

Spring is finally here (in NZ that is). I hope this finds you well in your part of the world.

These works finally arrived back in my studio today from a show. I'm surround by them, stacked around the walls of my studio! I'm planning to package them and send them out to galleries this Friday (Nov 16th). Before then, I'm offering a fantastic opportunity to buy any of these works at studio prices. Take advantage of these great prices for this very limited time! (Click the image to the left to see a larger version that you can read).

In addition, I have some copies of the 2008 "New Zealand's Favourite Artists" calendar and I'm happy to do a scribble on September which features my painting "Boardwalk Tango" and throw this in for free with if you purchase one of these painting by the end of this week.

I can now accept credit card payments and I'm happy to ship anywhere in the world, and for free within NZ.

I'd love to hear from you. If anything appeals we can work something out. Contact me at the email address at the end of this post and mention that you saw me on ArikiArt.

Best wishes
Bryce Brown

Update on Movember Fundraiser from Bryce

2007-11-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

I'm into week 2 and feeling as MOtivated as ever. This is a great cause and an awesome way of bringing attention to and raising money for prostate cancer. Please give generously. I only have one sponsor for $20 (another poor artist) so I hope I can raise a little mo' money than that...

This is the link you need http://www.movember.com/nz/donate/?action=sponsorlink&rego=145682

Cheers,

Bryce

Bryce Brown Raising Money for NZ Prostate Cancer Society

2007-11-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

As you can see by this pic, no mo at present (ok there's a slight shadow) - but I'm working on it , all in the name of raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand.

I'm not sure what shape or form THE MO will take, but I'm kind of thinking Magnum PI meets the Village people - nice!

Every year in New Zealand 2,656 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 600 die of the disease, making prostate cancer the second largest cause of male cancer deaths, after lung cancer.

To sponsor my Mo please go to movember.com/nz/donate, enter my registration number which is 145682 and your credit card details. Or you can sponsor me by cheque made payable to the "Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand" clearly marking the donation as being for my Registration Number: 145682. Please mail cheques to: Movember, PO Box 87 150, Meadowbank 1742, Auckland.

All donations are made directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand who will use the funds to create awareness, increase support networks for those men who suffer from prostate cancer, fund research and scholarship programs,

Movember culminates at the end of the month at the Gala Partés. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck and Borat look-a-likes battle it out for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title. If you would like to be part of this great night you'll need to purchase a Gala Parté ticket.

Thanks for your support,

Bryce

Movie of Bryce Brown Painting "Travail de l'Amour"

2007-10-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun and interesting way to get to know figurative artist Bryce Brown a little better. Bryce captured his creation of his painting "Travail de l'Amour" on video which you can view below.

Bryce Brown Nouveau Elegance Exhibition January 2008

2007-10-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Byrce Brown's exhibition "Nouveau Elegance" will take place at the Zohar Gallery in Mount Maunganui starting January 24th, 2008.

Bryce describes Nouveau Elegance as an exhibition that captures an old world grace, beauty, style and elegance with a twist. These figures are honest, humble, beautiful creatures who dwell lightly upon the land, gracing it with their presence as they go about their daily lives.

Woman Gathering Fruit

2007-09-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

This is classic figurative work by Bryce Brown. Highly textured brush work with simple background and an almost naive representation of the subject figure. Here a woman is caught picking up a piece of fruit from the ground to place in her basket.

Woman gathering fruit 122 x 90 cm (sold)

Little Sailor

2007-09-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Bryce Brown's figurative painting "Little Sailor" is still available and he is offering to donate half of the sales proceeds to a New Zealand Youth Sailing Trust of the buyer's choice.

If the buyer has no preference for the charity, then Bryce will nominate the beneficiary.

The price of the piece is NZD2000.

Contact Bryce if you are interested at info "at" brycebrownart.com.

Giclee Prints

2007-09-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Giclee Prints - What's your opinion?

Artist Bryce Brown recently emailed his client list with a question about creating limited edition giclee prints of his original artworks.

I now have an email list of around 70 people. This list in comprised largely of collectors of my work (and some future collectors!) from New Zealand, Canada, USA, Switzerland, Belgium, France, UK and Australia.

The reason for this message is to get some valuable feedback from you with regards to limited edition prints. If the collector of a particular piece was completely against this idea, I would not include that piece with any of the works to be reproduced. The prints would be of exceptional quality, printed with a highly UV resistant oil based ink, on canvas which would be stretched onto a frame much like the original. This would also be varnished - like the original. If the financial investment of the painting(s) you hold is of major importance - and you are concerned that the value could be affected, I feel that this would not be the case at all. In fact, I have heard the opposite from other successful artists - awareness of the original painting through exposure from limited edition prints can increase the value of the original and can create quite a demand for it.

Any paintings that have been created through a commission process would not be included as I realise that these have important personal value to the collector.

At the end of the day, any artist will always have the right to reproduce their own work - usually done as a way of creating a passive income and increasing exposure through having these prints in places that would not normally house original paintings.

I have given this much thought and toiled over the idea for some years. I now feel however that in a careful and controlled way that it is time to do this and would like to hear you constructive thoughts on the matter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Even if you don't own an original painting by Bryce Brown, what do you think of artists creating limited edition giclee prints of their original artworks? Post your comments below.

Not sure what a giclee print is? We have the answer in this post "What is a giclee print"

Herb and Peter Milking a Cow

2007-08-03T21:45:00.001-07:00

Painting of Man and Child Milking a Cow

This commissioned work has just been completed for a local collector. I'll be spending more time working on commissions based on images supplied by my clients - particularly those of (but not limited to) an historical nature. I'll also be working on portraits - rendered in such a way that is in keeping with my style and will capture the essence of the subject.

Man with Kauri Gum

2007-07-02T21:47:00.001-07:00

Painting of a man with kauri gum

Kauri gum is the resin of the giants of the subtropical rain forest of northern New Zealand. Resin of the trees is harvested from swamp lands that were once covered by kauri forest. The amber-colored resin (gum) is used for making jewelry and artifacts. In the early years of settlement of New Zealand by Europeans, kauri gum was a large industry in the north of New Zealand's North Island.

This painting by Bryce depicts a worker harvesting the gum from the dried swamp.

Acrylic on canvas
78x60cm