Contact information
bcrportraits@yahoo.com
(603) 746-6590

Artist's Statement

In spending my time creating commissioned pieces, I try to incorporate elements that set my portraits apart from those of classic style artists.  I strive to capture more than just the likeness of the subject; The composition should reveal the essence of the subjects’ personality in a subtle manner.

Although I do appreciate classic portrait compositions, I like my work to be more relaxed representations of people.  All components of the composition including color, texture, location and size should allow the subject to feed off of the setting while not drawing too much attention to any one particular detail.  Some of the ingredients I try to mix into my portraits include: realistic, elegant, simple, subtle, poignant, stark and endearing. 

I desire that the portrait tells something about the location where the individual is as many times clients choose regions that are meaningful to them.  I prefer outdoor settings and it is my intention for the viewer to know the season of the year and be able to infer the essence of the day.

I work directly from photographs that I take of my subjects.  This allows me to experience the personality of the individual, acquire details of the setting and envision my final product before I place a brush on canvas.   Some clients have requested that I create a painting from a cherished photograph.  On occasion I have accomplished this though with the limited resource of detail in a single photo, the process can be more arduous and provide less of an artistic statement with the end product.

Brian was born in August of 1963 in Van Buren, Maine.  He is primarily a self-taught artist. 

Brian graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1985 with a Mechanical Engineering degree.  As part of that course of study, Brian learned the art of mechanical drawing and also took one basic drawing class within the art department.  After graduation, Brian moved to southern Maine to work as a Mechanical Design Engineer.  His work in this field has lead to several patents in his name.

In the early part of Brian’s engineering career, he worked exclusively with graphite and velum in the creation of his mechanical designs.  Computer aided drafting tools were not widely in use at that time so Brian added his artistic talents to his engineering drawings and created numerous works that were used for marketing and presentation purposes by companies such as SHAPE Mfg. and Lund MFG.  From the late 1980’s all of his engineering design work was accomplished on computer software and hardware.  Brian established himself as a integral part of successful engineering departments at GTE Sylvania, First Light Technology, and finally STEAG-Hamatech. 

While an engineer by profession for approximately 15 years, Brian created his art in his leisure time, requiring frequent starts and stops along the way to completing a particular piece.  In addition, graphite on paper, and oil on canvas are very time intensive mediums.  To facilitate his process, Brian explains that he works almost entirely from photographs he takes of people and places.  He says the snapshot provides information from the camera but leaves final composition, expression and mood to be worked out by him in the studio.

Brian’s work for the past 3 years has focused almost entirely on commissioned portraits, which have been executed on canvas with Old Holland oil paint. He had several works in Austin Galleries in Austin, Texas but recently has placed several originals and prints locally at the Stonewall Gallery in Grantham, New Hampshire.  Most of his previous work had been predominantly graphite and color pencil on paper.  In the future, Brian hopes to split his time evenly between commissioned works and purely fine art pieces.  The portrait work has evolved completely through ‘word of mouth’ and the quick access of his website (www.rossignolart.com) and email.  His completed commissioned portraits have all been received with tremendous enthusiasm including several multiple commissions from the same clients.  Because Brian has become more proficient with the oil on canvas medium, he plans to advertise this year to attract more commissions.

For his fine art pieces Brian feels it is important to create art from subjects that are familiar to him.  Naturally, New England and its hard working people and simple stark beauty make superb subjects as they typically go unnoticed by most New England residents and tourists alike.” 

Brian currently draws and paints in his New Hampshire home where he and his family have lived since 2000.