BRIAN SOSTROM
Nature and the beauty of emptiness have heavily inspired Brian Sostrom’s paintings. The atmospheric images are not intended to communicate a story but rather to create an intriguing visual poem. His recent art pieces are acrylic paint on Plexiglas.
The slick surface of the plastic sheeting makes an excellent surface for subtle brushwork and mark-making. The flip side of the Plexiglas is covered with layers of transparent textures that harmonize and compliment the painted image. Glass beads and iridescent paint are often incorporated into his work and alter the appearance of the surface as the lighting and angle of view shift.
As a child, I grew up in small rural towns in the Pacific Northwest. My father was an engineer for the National Forest Service, and we frequently relocated for his work. All of my finest memories revolve around the tranquility of nature and the peace and solitude that I only found there. My father has always painted, at least since I’ve been around. I would watch him painting on his homemade easel, wishing I could do the same. When I was 9 years old, my parents purchased a hobby set of acrylic paints for me, and I was never far from them. When I went to Washington State University, I experimented with all types of mediums and began learning about computer-generated art and design.
Digital art is an interesting pursuit and has kept me afloat financially, but my passion is still painting. Acrylics have lured me back with their everexpanding catalog of new mediums and materials. In the last few years, I have experimented with Plexiglas and acrylic paint. This has once again been a dramatic change for me. I paint with translucent acrylics on Plexiglas and build textures and reflective surfaces on the back of the Plexiglas. I am combining traditional techniques with unusual materials to encapsulate a lot of digital ideas, layers, and depth but in a very physical way. I have solo shows at regional colleges and art galleries in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. The challenge for me now is balancing my time between the computer and the brush.