A Scientist’s Brush: How Brian Parker Transformed from Chemical Engineer to Acclaimed Artist.
As A Visual Artist
hailing from the picturesque, English wooded landscapes of Hockley, Essex, my journey in the arts has been anything but conventional. Long before my paintings came to life, my pursuits were grounded in the empirical world of chemical engineering, earning me a PhD from the University of Bradford. My love for patterns, shapes and colours that once propelled me through a science career, eventually lead me on a path less travelled – into the world of art.
As a Scientist
my gaze was drawn to detail and precision, a perspective that has evolved into a unique artistic style. When I hold a brush, I see outlines, edges and patterns, rather than volumes. It’s as if the scientist in me is still analysing and categorising, but now, it’s through a prism of colours and textures. My work embodies a powerful sense of colour and a relentless pursuit of simplicity. It is in this simplicity that the beauty of the ‘perfect’ line is born.
Some Inspiration
If you’ve seen my work, it may not surprise you to learn that I’m an admirer of the works of great artists such as David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, Egon Schiele, Charles Sheeler, and Charles Demuth. My art also carries subconscious echoes of their influence. My pieces range from figurative to abstract, but the thread that binds them all together is the aesthetic feeling they leave the viewer with, rather than specific thematic content.
Expressing My Own View
Being an artist isn’t just about creating; it’s about expressing a personal view. The goal of my work is to stimulate your visual senses and leave you with a sense of pleasure and fulfilment. I aim to paint with the minimum of distraction and with a reduced palette of flat colours that are just enough to convey my view of the composition. It’s a reflection of the minimalistic scientist in me. From the deckle edged, Fabriano Artistico paper to the Da Vinci acrylic brushes, I carefully choose the tools that will help me create the clean, crisp lines that have become such a characteristic of my work.
Back in 2008, I had a real turning point when I enrolled in an Access to Art and Design course. I discovered a deep-seated need to paint, and I began to redefine my view of the world. I switched lenses from the factual to the abstract, in a palette of colours, lines and shapes. That transformative journey, from a scientific world to an artistic one, has been challenging but infinitely rewarding.
Today, as an artist with over 30 years of experience in visual arts, my work can be found online, reflecting the marriage of science and art; evidence of my transformation from scientist into passionate visual artist. Despite my love for the simplicity of lines and colours, my style is anything but simple. It’s the sum of my life experiences, my scientific background, my love for patterns and my admiration for great artists. It’s a style that’s truly my own, one that I am proud to share with you and many art lovers across the world.
If you’re looking to buy art online, particularly from an English artist, I’d like to welcome you to my world. Here you’ll see the precision of science and the freedom of art collide to create something uniquely beautiful.
