21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch in 2016 | Brian Astle

Idaho

Brian Astle, Sunshine on a Cloudy Day, oil, 24 x 18.

Art Education: Bachelor of fine arts from Brigham Young University in Rexburg, ID. I am currently working on a master of fine arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Style: I don’t think there is a name for the way I paint, but I feel that I am a representational artist.

Creative Spark: From the beginning, the work of others has always inspired me. The work of Josh Clare, Daniel Keys, Albin Veselka, and Duane Keiser are simply magical. They set a fire in me to try to accomplish something on the same level as them.

Second-Choice Career: If I wasn’t an artist, I would be an educator. Teaching is a passion. In some ways, it gives me as much satisfaction as finishing what I consider to be a great painting.

Other Passions: Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I have achieved the rank of brown belt.

One Thing People Don’t Know About You: My wife and I are expecting our first child, a boy, at the end of August.

Best Advice Received: Real talent is merely the ability to stick with something until you get it right. Mastery is sticking with something until you can’t get it wrong.

Quirkiest Trait: When I’m working, I often turn my head to see the painting a little differently. Models have told me that it makes me look like a pigeon.

Mantra or Motto: What one man can do, another can do.

Favorite Studio Music: Twenty One Pilots.

Price Range: $500 to $3,000.

Representation: Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY; Montana Gallery, Billings, MT.

Featured in the September 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.