At an early age Bryan had an interest in painting and sculpting. In grade school he received a prize for painting from his entry at the Long Island Teachers Association Show, and was encouraged by his teachers to continue painting after high school. Bryan attended Brandeis University, studying with Paul Georges and later becoming his assistant. During this time he also made illustrations for Mel Bartholomew used in the gardening publication “The Square Foot Gardener”. In 1986 Bryan worked for the sculptor Penelope Jencks. She introduced him to George Nick, from whom he received valuable advice.
Bryan received grants from Massachusetts Cultural Council in 1988 and 1996, and his works have been seen at numerous private homes and galleries including:
Currier Gallery of Art – Manchester, NH
First Street Gallery – New York, NY
Creiger Dane Gallery – Boston, MA
Northern Westchester Art Center – Mount Kisco, NY
The Schoolhouse Gallery – Croton Falls, NY
Garrison Art Center – Garrison, NY
The Vogel Gallery – Danbury, CT
Bryan was included in the Refiguring the Figure juried by Helen Cooper, curator at Yale University. Bryan has been featured in publications including the Concord Journal and American Artist Magazine. He currently paints and resides in the Village of Brewster in Putnam County, NY.
A note from Bryan:
As our civilization advances have the ties that once connected us to the natural world been completely severed? We are already witnessing the unraveling of nature, as (is) seen in the weather, unpredictable and indifferent to human activity.
Ours is but a brief moment in the history of this incredible journey we call life. It is in awareness of this fact that we are faced with the mystery of our existence – a state of awareness which defies the symptoms of present day society: mass media, consumerism, greed.
– Bryan Shea January, 2018