Artist At Work

        Brandon Bass has been drawing for over 25 years.  Although a native of Fayetteville, TN, he graduated from Purdue University in Lafayette, IN with a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education.  Brandon has been drawing portraits for 17 years.  He sold his first portrait in 9^th grade.  Brandon’s work has been displayed in prestigious places such as Michael Jordan’s Restaurant.  He has experienced art in foreign countries such as Europe and Asia while spending 7 years in the United States military.  He has taught in public schools, art museums and private classrooms in Tennessee, North Carolina, Indiana, and Las Vegas.  Brandon still considers himself a lifelong student.  "The day that I stop learning is the day that I'll put down the pencil." 

       My love for art comes from my inner feelings.  Since portrait drawing is my favorite subject, I like to project my emotional inner self into the portrait that I am drawing.  Facial expression says so much more than actual words.  I want people to see the happiness, melancholy, and humbleness through the eyes of my portrait subjects.  I have a chance to mentally communicate with the person throughout the process of drawing the picture even though the photo never says a word.  I want the viewer to notice the eyes of the portrait as they follow him or her around the room as if the figure is relating to the viewer.

       The feeling of freedom engulfs me while recreating the photo and that freedom transforms into the completion of the portrait.  I am not just drawing the person from that moment in time, I am giving the viewer a biography of the person in the picture.  My inner feelings carry me through the entire process of drawing the portrait from the beginning to the end.