Kevin Brown is a native Californian and a long-time resident of San Francisco. Growing up in Sacramento and Lodi, he began drawing almost before he could write and thus began a fascination with light and shadow that took him through serious study of drawing, photography, cinematography and (after moving to San Francisco) ultimately, painting. Born with mild red/green color-blindness, his art for many years consisted of pastel portraits in one or two colors on toned paper. In response to a challenge by a recipient of one of these portraits, Kevin began to study the color wheel, color harmonies and design, ultimately formulating a way around this visual limitation to create harmonious landscape paintings. The intimate settings he prefers painting are inspired often by the glowing effects of grasses and foliage illuminated from behind in the late afternoon or early morning.
“I paint almost exclusively the small details of the landscape, rather than broad vistas or ‘scenes’. The play of light and shadow is usually my principle subject, rather than the objects or physical elements themselves. The compositions are then ‘found’ within the arrangement of light and dark; objects and surroundings. Trees, especially often feel like ‘surrogates’ for human emotion. My most frequently-painted subject is San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. After 30 years, still discovering hidden little corners!”
Kevin’s website is http://www.kevinrbrownart.com/