brian shepherd
about the artist
I have been drawing and painting since I was a young kid, initially influenced by the illustrations I’d see in the comics that we probably all had as children, and I’d think wow! I want to draw like that. Later on from borrowed library books etc., I’d see colour reproductions of very dramatic works by some of the Old Masters like ‘Caravaggio‘ and I had so much admiration for their skill and their ability to perfectly capture a moment in time and expertly convey such a range of human emotion. I'm not a wordsmith, so for me I chose to express myself creatively through a paintbrush.
Educated in Salisbury Wiltshire, Brian studied painting and graphics at Salisbury Art College. He graduated into the advertising industry, and during his time spent working on paintings and illustrations he became highly skilled with the airbrush as his preferred medium.
With a lifelong passion for popular music, art memorabilia, and all things rock & roll, Brian gravitated towards the custom motorcycle business and started a custom paint business, working directly onto motorcycle parts, trucks, guitars and other items, for which he established a formidable reputation.
As a full time artist, Brian has undertaken an impressive range of commissions for companies including Harrods of Knightsbridge, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser and the Arcadia Group as well as private collectors. His work is exhibited in galleries across the UK, Europe and the USA.
These days Brian paints for the love of painting. His style is much looser, much more creative. He works mainly in oil or acrylic on canvas and chooses subjects that allow him to share his vision of the world.
Inside the studio
I have a small but perfectly comfortable studio in my home in Bushey, Hertfordshire. I'm mostly found in the studio with a paint brush in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, listening to Sixties music with the dog watching on from his basket.