Brian Blood California Impressionist

Brian Blood Brian Blood, a resident of Pebble Beach, California, is widely recognized as one of California’s most important plein air impressionist artists. Married to award winning artist, Laurie Kersey,  www.lauriekersey.com they live thier childhood dreams. 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 Univercity 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. 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. Honors and Awards -2009 Best of Show Award, Fine Art Studio Online Art Competition, October  2009 Carmel Art Festival "Best of Show" - 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,  "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 Societies - Signature Member, California Art Club - Signature Member, Oil Painters of America - Signature Member, Northern California Painters Group - Signature Member, Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Association - Member, The Conservancy Painters Group