Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Canty.
Brian, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My work reflects peaceful moments in my daily activities. Amidst the general comings and goings, I find time to escape and plug into the moments that inspire me. There are elements surrounding us that cause us to stop and reflect. Much like any other nature buff, I draw inspiration from walking trails.
Whilst doing so, I pay attention to things like the branches of a tree twisting in neat ways or watching how a streak of light sits on a plane. These sights are stored in my memory and brought back to my desk to paint. Watercolor has become the tool that helps me rediscover that which I had experienced. One of the most important (and largest) pieces I have created, was a large-scale mural painting in my hometown.
In May 2017, I was fortunate enough to be a part of our inaugural O+ Festival. O+ was founded in 2010 in Kingston, NY by artists and health/wellness providers. The focus of this organization was to strengthen and celebrate communities through the power of art. The mural I had painted was the most intense project I have been involved in.
It launched my career as a blossoming artist, into all that I have today. Had I not taken part in that, I would not have the drive I possess now. Today, I find that I am presented with a multitude of opportunities that challenge my artistic ability. As an artist, I am my own boss, so I am in charge of making decisions to take or decline jobs. My clients range from art lovers who believe in celebrating art for art’s sake, to rock bands that discover that I have a love for design.
As a musician, I have made many contacts just playing throughout New England. My love for music is directly tied to my art making. To me, sound offers color. Certain songs give me inspiration towards different works. I often have a difficult time remaining calm, so I look to music to ease into the mindset for my art making. My work is an honest view of who I am, and what I really value in life.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Though I had found a love for art at an early age (as early as I can remember), through my adolescence there was always an underlying sense of insecurity. College had proven to be a struggle for me. I was definitely an attentive student and put forth the effort that was expected, but never really felt comfortable using the tools I was using. I was under the impression that everything I did had to be crisp and polished as if the high detail was the most important thing in the world. The drawings I came to class with were very stiff and had little variation, which is the opposite of how I work now.
I was once told in class that I didn’t have the skill to do the things I was trying to do, which (looking back) is exactly what I needed to hear. I now know that I needed someone to tell me I couldn’t when in my youth, so many told me I could. I was referred to the right professors at the end of my junior year; including Bob Maloney, Paul Olson and Irena Roman. These lovely people taught me how to paint. Entering my senior year, I finally started creating work that I had wanted to make my entire time as a student.
Watercolor became the bridge between sketching and my weak grasp of color theory. I couldn’t mix color to save my life. This will always be an on-going journey. No matter what, I will always be a student. The key to making pieces that are exciting to me is to not take everything so seriously. All I have to do is pump out work and weed out the strong from the weak. If it’s not enjoyable, then it’s not working.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I go about my work with an “anything goes” mentality… If it happens it happens. What’s most important to me now is that art remains fluid. I am able to take something I experienced and translate it into a colorful interpretation on paper. There is a feeling of whimsy associated with my work, resulting in a familiarity for New England inhabitants.
Even though some scenes aren’t specifically identifiable, my palette and mark making suggests a place we can all loosely identify with. I am definitely obsessed with trees; they have untamed personalities defined from their roots to their wild branches. Shapes like these send me into a painting frenzy. As of late, I am enjoying a simplified process that I call the “shaky hand” technique.
This can be taken literally because I’m less worried about establishing a believable mark and more into the values within a scene coming across. The eye will naturally zero in on a focal point, and the areas surrounding become soft and hazy. I want my paintings to create that sense. I stress the use of soft gradients, subtle patterns and sharp focus.
Simultaneously, this creates the illusion of a believable scene, but with a lovely, dream-like quality.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Throughout what I have discovered since college, my proudest moment of my career has been very simple; I had a solo show in my hometown that was put on by friends and local business owners: Hailey Moschella and Sarah Lovasco. They offered a space for me to show my watercolor landscapes and promoted like crazy to have all of the inhabitants and business owners to come by.
This brought my work to the eyes of those who don’t have a direct connection to the arts. When the work was set to come down, we threw a closing reception. When this date came, every single one of my friends were able to join and see what I had been up to for months. An explanation to why I had disappeared for months.
For as much as I share my abilities with others, it was a wild experience to have my closest friends gather in one place to celebrate something I had personally accomplished… This was one of the best and most humbling experiences I have ever had.
Contact Info:
- Website: briancantyart.com
- Email: brancantyart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brcantygram/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004287078283
Image Credit:
Scott Kody
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
