Brent Hanson
Oxnard, California
award winning artist and native Californian
In general, my goal for my art is to express emotion, interpret beauty, or to comment about life, nature, and humanity in a bold, colorful manner.
Brent Hanson – So much to Paint, so little Time!
Hanson paints bold, vivid, colorful, and intense arboreal works, florals, abstract figurative works and non-representational abstracts. He credits starting to paint in late 2009 with helping him find more balance in life. Generally a studio painter, Hanson paints in mostly in acrylic… from imagination, dreams, and emotions.
At what age did you know you wanted to be an artist?
When I was a kid, I loved to draw and recreate cartoon characters. My mom paid for some art lessons from a local artist and I was like a kid who didn’t want to take a bath: I went kicking and screaming but once there, I didn’t want to stop. What I remembered from that experience is the sense of losing track of time while I was creating…I still experience that to this day.
What is the earliest artwork you did that you can remember?
Drawing Mickey Mouse, and Charlie Brown is the earliest I can remember but not really any story.
Which classical or contemporary artists have inspired you?
Robert Burridge is my mentor however I’m also inspired by Joan Miro, and Van Gogh. Burridge’s work appealed to be for his use of color and as an instructor he’s very empowering and encouraging; he makes the creative process fun. I love the dichotomy within Miro’s work- lines, forms, and colors as if painted by a child but at the same time complex once one understands the symbolism. Finally, I love Van Gogh’s impasto, and use of color as well. Two of my favorites are his paintings: The Red Vineyard, and The Mulberry Tree.
How would you describe your artistic style?
I paint bold, colorful, expressionist contemporary interpretations of trees, florals, as well, as non-representational abstract work. I occasionally foray into abstract figurative work as well. Most of my work is done in acrylic and sometimes with combined media as well such as charcoal, oil paint markers, and collage.
When did you first sell an artwork? How did you feel?
My first sale was a 12×12 abstract work of a cat. I was thrilled. It happened I did several similar pieces at the time and they sold quite well.
What's your workstyle? Do you work on one piece at a time or work simultaneously on multiple pieces?
I get bored easily so I like to have multiple works going simultaneously. Not so much a “production” approach as some artists will do where they do several pieces that all have a very similar subject and composition but slight differences in color. I work on one piece and then set it aside when it reaches a point I want to stop to let it dry and move onto another piece.
How do you get the inspiration for a new piece?
I look around. I look at lots of art online, and I galleries and museums. I let it all ferment in my mind. Most of my inspiration comes while I’m painting. If it is something I can use on the painting in front of me, I’ll do it. If not, I’ll take a moment to record the idea. While I do borrow ideas, for me, it is the process of being creative that provides ongoing inspiration more than anything else.
Tell us a bit about your personal life ...
I’m a native of California, and married to my partner of 28 years. We have two children (the furry, barky, four legged kind), we both love the arts, love to travel.
I believe someone else said something like this but it expresses my thoughts about art in general. “There is no good art or bad art. There is only art that you either like, you don’t like, or you have no feeling for either way. It is the last category of art you want to avoid. The other two categories of art are useful. The art you like you can derive pleasure and enjoyment from for a lifetime. The art you dislike can be growth and learning experience. This art can force you to examine yourself and your world, and the emotions the art stirs within you and why.”
A few pieces from Brent Hanson’s gallery
In the Green Room
Dusk
More about Brent Hanson
Shows & Exhibitions
Solo Shows:
- Avenida De Los Arboles: The Tool Room Gallery, Ventura, CA July 1-July 31, 2017
- Persistent, Perplexing, Preoccupations: Buenaventura Gallery, Ventura, CA August 13-September 7, 2013
- What’s Love Got To Do With It: Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo,
CA January 31-February 23, 2013
- Saturation: Harbor Village Gallery, Ventura CA
May 2-28, 2012
Group Shows:
- August 5-August 27, 2017: La Dulcepalozza 2017: The Neutra Museum Gallery, Silverlake, CA
- April 18- May 7, 2017 El Festival De Las Flores: The Neutra Museum Gallery, Silverlake, CA
- February 2017 Thousand Oaks Art Association Open Juried Exhibition, Thousand Oaks Gallery, Thousand Oaks, CA.
- December 2016 -Member exhibit Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA
- January 2016- The Tempest, Downey Symphony Art Exhibition
- May 2015: Arts Alive Art Festival: Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, CA.
- April 3-April 19, 2015: April show at HUD Gallery, Ventura, CA.
- April 3-29, 2015: Westlake Village Art Guild 2015 Open Juried Show, Thousand Oaks, CA
- 2015: Curves and Lines Online exhibit: LinusGalleries.com
- 2015: Botanicals Online exhibit: LinusGalleries.com
- 2015: Black and White Online exhibit: Linus Galleries.com
- February 6-27, 2015: February Show at HUD Gallery, Ventura, CA.
- November 2010-February 2015: Exhibited in over 30 juried member shows and OpenNovember 2-November 27, 2015: Food and Drink, Orange County Creatives Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
- October 2-October 25, 2015; Earth Spirit Art Exhibit, The WAV Gallery, Ventura, CA
- September 28-October 25, 2015: Human, Orange County Creatives Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
- August 28-September 25,2015: Flora and Fauna, Orange County Creatives Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA.
- August 25-September 19, 2015: 7th Annual Watercolor and Aquamedia Open Competition; Buenaventura Gallery, Ventura, CA.
- November 8-December 28, 2014: Fresh, South Bay Contemporary, Rolling Hills Estates, CA.
- October 30-November 28,2014: Clothing Optional, Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA
- September 2014: Thousand Oaks Art Festival, Thousand Oaks, CA.
- July 2014: Art Saves Lives, Ventura Arts Council, Government Center, Ventura CA
- June 1-August 19, 2014: Voices, Abstract Art Collective exhibit Bronfman Family Jewish Community Center, Santa Barbara, CA
- May 2014: Arts Alive Art Festival: Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, CA.
- March 22-30, 2014: Petals: at the Proverbs Coffee House, Camarillo, CA
- January 8-February 8, 2014: Abstract 8 at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club,
Santa Barbara, CA
- December 5-28, 2013: In the Detail: Small Works: Blackboard Gallery,
Camarillo, CA
- August 31-September 1, 2013 : Abstract Art Collective Bacara-Waldorf Benefit
Show, Santa Barbara, CA
- August 1-30, 2013: Unlimited, Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA
- January 30-February 23, 2013: Essence, Studio Channel Islands Art Center,
Camarillo, CA
- December 2012: Precious, Small Image Show: Studio Channel Islands Art
Center, Camarillo, CA .
- October-December 2012: La Cuisine: The Pasadena Women’s City Club
- July-September 2012: Come Fly With Me: The Pasadena Women’s City Club
- Feb-March 2012: Thousand Oaks Art Association Open Competition Show
- December 2011: Small and Smaller: Studio Channel Islands Art Center
- July 6-30, 2011: Horizontal Shift: Studio Channel Islands Art Center
- May 7-28, 2011: Floral Anthology: Studio Channel Islands Art Center
- March 10 to April 27, 2011: Westlake Village Art Guild Annual Open Juried
Show: Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, Thousand Oaks, CA
- November-December 2010: Studio Channel Islands Art Center Small Works
Show
- July-September 2010: The Big Show – Community Memorial Hospital, Ventura, CA
- April 2010: Works for a New Decade Juried Show: Studio Channel Islands Art
Center and Gallery; Camarillo, CA
- March 2010: Westlake Village Art Guild Annual Open Juried Show: Thousand
Oaks Community Gallery, Thousand Oaks, CA
- January 2010: Westlake Village Art Guild Annual Member’s Show: Thousand
Oaks, Community Gallery, Thousand Oaks, CA