This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  Brian Blood, a resident of Pebble Beach, California, is one of California’s important plein air impressionist artists.
He began his professional life as a graphic artist and art director in Boston, Massachusetts. Although Blood's career was successful, he was frustrated personally and realized he wanted to be a fine-art painter. A leap across the continent to California took him to the Academy of Art College in San Francisco for both undergraduate and graduate studies. In 2003, Blood and his artist wife, Laurie Kersey, were both teachers at the Academy of Art College. In 2006 Blood was awarded a “Doctor of Humane Letters” from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
From the 1990s, Brian Blood has been painting full time as well as conducting landscape painting classes at his alma mater. "I love the look on young people's faces when they begin to understand the thrill of painting outdoors," he says with great satisfaction. He also conducts ongoing workshops in his studio, and surrounding areas of Pebble Beach, California.
Primarily a plein-air painter, Blood creates hundreds of studies directly from nature, observing the ever changing light of day. He then takes his studies and supporting reference photos back to one of his two studios, either in San Francisco or Pacific Grove, to paint. He uses these studies as the basis for his larger scale works.
Blood has had his work featured in articles in Southwest Art Magazine (May 2002, and March 2005); Art of The West Magazine (March/April 2004); American Artist Magazine (January 2004); Plein Air Magazine (December 2005); and The Central Coast Journal (October 2005); to name a few.
Artist's Statement:
"My favorite subjects are scenes from Northern California. I have a connection with the sea, especially around the Monterey area and Point Lobos. I grew up around boats. When I was a boy, my father and I would build and fix boats during the New England winters. Now, I can't imagine a life without being able to paint. I am blessed with the confidence and guidance that creating art is what I will be doing for the rest of my life."
Education:
Academy of Art College, San Francisco, B.A., M.A. (Fine Art)
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California, 2006
Honors and Awards:
2012 - Carmel Art Festival, May 2012, "Award of Excellence" from Plein Air Magazine for "Morning @ Pt. Pinos Lighthouse
2012 - Carmel Art Festival, May 2012, "Honorable Mention" for "Chinese Junk"
2012 - American Art Collector Magazine Award of Excellence, California Art Club 101st Gold Medal Exhibition, Autry National Center / Museum, Los Angeles, California
2011 - Informed Collector, Bold Brush Competition, November Finalist
2011 - Informed Collector, Bold Brush Competition, October Finalist
2011 - 18th Annual Carmel Art Festival, "Best Local Artist", May 2011
2010 Informed Collector Bold Brush Competition, "Finalist", December 2010
2010 Informed Collector Bold Brush Competition, 3rd Place, November 2010
2010 3rd Place, Fine Art Views Bold Brush Competition, August 2010.
2010 "Best Local Artist", 17th Annual Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2009 Fine Art Views Painting Competition (October), Best of Show for his work entitled Winter in Paris
2009 Carmel Art Festival, First Place Award for his work entitled Foggy Morning.
2009 Salon International, Southwest Art Magazine Award of Excellence for his work Treasure Hunting
2008 Carmel Art Festival "People's Choice" & "Artist's Choice" Award Winner for his work entitled, Perkin’s Point.
2008 Carmel Art Festival "Best Local Artist" Award Winner
2007 Carmel Art Festival, "Best Local Artist" Award
2007 California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Southwest Art Magazine “Award of Excellence”
2007 Maui Plein Air Invitational, "Irvine Museum Award of Excellence"
2006 "Quest for The West", Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana, “Founder’s Award”
2006 "Plein Air Affair, 2006", Museum of Art & History, Santa Cruz, California, “Best of Show”, and “People's Choice” Award winner
2005 Finalist in the Artist's Magazine 2005 Competition
2005 Oil Painters of America Western Regional, “Award of Excellence” for his work entitled, Hyde Street Cable Turn
2005 “Northern Views” exhibit, Napa Valley Museum, “People's Choice” Award for his work entitled Asilomar Sunset
2005 Carmel Art Festival, “Mayor's Choice” Award
2005 Salon International, San Antonio, Texas, Fine Art Studio Online “Award of Excellence” and “Top 50 Award”
2005 Bennington Center for the Arts Small Works Show, Bennington, Vermont, “Third Place” Award
2004 Honorable Mention Award, Pastel Journal Magazine
2004 San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival, “Best of Show” Award
2004 Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Jack Richeson “Award Of Excellence” for his work entitled, Asilomar Sunset
2004 Carmel Art Festival, “People's Choice”, and “Artist's Choice” Awards for his work entitled, Morning Iceplant
2004 Winner of a “Merit Award of Excellence” in the landscape category at the Salon International Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas.
2003 “Award of Excellence” winner, Annual Plein Air Painting Festival Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters, for his work, Deer Mountain
2002 “Honorable Mention” award winner, for his work entitled The Old Fremont, 1st Annual San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival, San Luis Obispo, California
2000 Carmel Art Festival, “Third Place” and “People's Choice” Awards
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2012 California Art Club, Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena, California
2012 Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art, Scottsdale, Arizona
2012 19th Annual Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2011 18th Annual Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2011 100th Annual California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2011 Salon International Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
2010 "Colors Of California" Exhibition, Pasadena Art Gallery Association - Catalina Island Conservancy, October 2010.
2010 "Quest For The West" Exhibition, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
2010 Group Landscape Exhibition, Jones & Terwilliger Gallery, Carmel, California
2010 - 99th Annual California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2010 - 17th Annual Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2010 - 19th Annual Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009 Then & Now: Artists Exploring the Bay Area, Thomas Reynolds Gallery, San Francisco, California
2009 Crocker Art Museum Annual Auction, Sacramento, California
2009 "Quest For The West" Exhibition, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
2009 Small Works Invitational, Howard/Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, Washington
2009 "California Impressions", ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, California
2009 Wine Country Plein Air Invitational Exhibition, Sonoma, California
2009 California Art Club 98th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2009 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2009 Quest for the West Exhibition, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
2009 Salon International, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
2008 Celebrate the Craft: Plein Air Invitational, The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla, California
2008 Wine Country Plein Air Invitational, Fairmont Gallery, Sonoma, California
2008 Crocker Art Museum Benefit Auction, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California
2008 Great American Landscape Exhibition, Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, California
2008 Howard / Mandville 36th Annual Exhibition, Howard / Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, Washington
2008 California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2008 Brian Blood & Ted Goerschner: Two Man Show, Jones & Terwilliger Gallery, Palm Desert, California
2008 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel-California
2008 "Quest For The West" Exhibition, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
2008 Academy of Art University Alumni Exhibition & Sale, San Francisco, California
2007 "Quest For The West" Exhibition, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
2007 Torrey Pines Plein Air Invitational, Torrey Pines Lodge, La Jolla, California
2007 Maui Plein Air Invitational, Maui, Hawaii
2007 California Art Club, 96th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena, Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2007 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2006 "Quest For The West" Exhibition, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
2006 Salon International Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
2006 California Art Club, 95th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2006 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2005 Monterey Open Studio Tour, Monterey, California
2005 4th Annual San Luis Obispo Plein Air Painting Festival, San Luis Obispo Art Center, San Luis Obispo, California
2005 Telluride Plein Air Festival 2005, Telluride, Colorado
2005 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2005 "Northern Views: California Painting in the Plein Air Tradition", Napa Valley Museum, Napa, California
2005 "Sonoma Plein Air" Festival, Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, Sonoma, California
2005 "My California: Views From The Golden State", National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, California
2005 Tucson Plein Air Painting Festival, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
2005 California Art Club. Spring Encounters Exhibition, Pasadena, California
2004 California Art Club's 94th Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena Museum Of California Art, Pasadena, California
2004 Oil Painters of America National Exhibition
2003 California Art Club, “H20. An Exhibition of Coastal Images”, Pasadena, California
2003 California Art Club, “Ode to the Southern California Eucalyptus” Pasadena, California
2002 San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival, San Luis Obispo, California
2001 Tenth Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Oil Painters of America, Palm Desert, California
2001 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel, California
2000 California Art Club 90th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2000 Carmel Art Festival, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
1999 Juried Exhibition, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California
1999 Hudson Valley Art Association, 68th Annual Exhibition, Scarsdale, New York
1998 Pastel Society of America, Annual Exhibition, New York, New York
1994-97 Yosemite Renaissance Exhibitions, Yosemite National Park, California
1996-97 The Dynasty Art Group, Taipei, Taiwan
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2010 Michael Hollis Fine Art, South Pasadena, California, October 2010
2000 “Plein Air California” Bush St. Gallery, San Francisco, California
1999: "California Impressions," Academy Gallery, Academy of Art College, San Francisco, California
1998: "The Heat Continues," Art Haus Gallery, San Francisco, California
Collections:
Ritz Carlton Hotel, Half Moon Bay, California
Pacific Bell Offices, San Francisco, California
McKesson Corporation, San Francisco, California
California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California
Society Membership:
Signature Member, California Art Club
Signature Member, Northern California Painters Group
Signature Member, Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Association
Artist Member, Oil Painters of America
Member, The Conservancy Painters Group
Sources:
The artist’s website: www.brianbloodfineart.com
http://www.calpaintings.com/brianblood/artistbio.html
Additional information courtesy of Gary Stanley, ArtSanDiego www.artsandiego.com
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