I was born in South Africa and grew up in Welgedacht, near Springs. I grew up on an agricultural small holding (Plot) where my childhood was filled with adventure, endless love, nurturing and surreal with nature.
My love of painting and drawing started at an early age. I always received accolades from my school teachers when associated with drawing or art work but somehow, never took up art as a subject. The most significant inspiration I experienced was when we befriended our neighbor, Malcolm Smith during the early 1980’s. I always knew that Malcolm was an artist, but until then, never had the opportunity to see any of his master pieces up close. Malcolm changed his name to Malachi due to religious reasons possibly due to the many hours Malcolm and my dad spent discussing and debating scriptures from the Bible and Brother Braham’s scriptures.
During the late 70’s and 80’s, my father owned a construction company and we were tasked by Malachi to build a large extension to his residence. At some stage my Dad suggested to Malachi on the process of doing limited prints of his works and from that, Malachi Smith Prints was established. Our family has many of his first limited edition prints till this day with one exception of an original which he painted when he was 16 years old. I still have his first brochure which I reference on a regular basis.
Not having any formal art training, I have spent most of my adult life teaching myself the intricacies of watercolor, oil, acrylic, pencil, and pastel mediums with many mistakes and findings along the way. For me the process is the adventure and the final result is often the culmination of many hours of painting, meditating and reflection. Many friends around the world have some of my paintings in their homes. I consider it an honor that someone else would want to own my work.
It is my wish that each piece would embrace the viewer and draw them into a moment of quiet reflection and wonder for this creation of ours. As I paint I am in awe of the abundance of nature, the light, the atmosphere and the intricacies of pattern. Each painting adventure teaches me something about myself. For me, art is a therapeutic journey. It is a time when I feel most complete, fulfilled and whole. I am able to lose myself in the process of creation and that, to me, is like prayer and meditation.
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http://www.wix.com/brianandre/Brian-Andre
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