Brianna Lee
First Frost
Oil on Panel
7x5 Inches
Brianna Lee American, b. 1987 is a figurative oil painter working in the realist tradition. Her work focuses on the emotional interior world of her portrait subjects, often portraying them against dramatic landscapes that act as a metaphorical narrative of their life. Her work aims to highlight the quiet inward strength and resilience of her female subjects. The use of contrasted lighting and rich and emotive colors convey the sentiment of each individual. While many of her narratives are fictional, she gleans inspiration from her own life experiences and of her models, friends and family. The wide open landscapes she portrays are often inspired by the rural environment she grew up in, in the Central Valley of California.
She studied contemporary and traditional painting techniques at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art and in the private atelier of portrait artist Adrian Gottlieb. She received her BFA with honors from the prestigious Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna Beach, CA.
Ms. Lee has taught for several independent art academies throughout California, while also running her own atelier in Orange County. She is a member of the American Women Artists Association and has been granted awards for her portraits. Ms. Lee has been featured in numerous publications and was selected as one of Poets & Artists Magazine’s 50 Most Memorable Painters of 2015 and a Finalist and Honorable Mention Award winner in the prestigious 13th International Art Renewal Center Salon Competition. She has also been granted the Dual Category Award for Portrait and Figure in the 14th Annual ARC Salon.
"My current series is an exploration of contemplative women positioned against dramatic rural landscapes and stormy skies. I use natural settings in an attempt to touch on a sublime encounter with the forces of nature and as a metaphor for the uncertainty we often face in life. Immersion in nature can also be a conduit for self-reflection. I am drawn to painting women because that is the lens through which I encounter my world and there is a silent, often overlooked strength in women that I find endlessly inspiring."
- Brianna Lee
