Brian Francis Fanning (1933–2005), who signed his name Brian Francis, was a 20th-century Irish artist working in oils and distemper, primarily on landscapes. He was born in Tralee, in

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

, but spent most summers in Birr, County Tipperary, where the family had connections to the ''Midland Tribune'' newspaper. He saw his first fine art in magazines sent from England by relatives. He preserved many such pictures. He frequently cycled to Limerick to visit art exhibitions and his uncle, an art tutor at the Limerick School of Art. As a teen he designed and made sets, masks and costumes for the local amateur drama group in Tralee. He planned and ran the lighting on performance nights. He was an active member of the Music Association in Tralee. He applied to the Central College of Art in London, and was accepted on the strength of his drawings. He had exceptional talent as a

draughtsman A draughtsman (British spelling) or draftsman (American spelling) may refer to: * An architectural drafter, who produced architectural drawings until the late 20th century * An artist who produces drawings that rival or surpass their other types ...

and studied Fine Art painting and

printmaking Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed techniq ...

. When he left for London, Rose, his wife-to-be, followed him. They were married in a Southwark church. After studying part-time the need to earn a living for his new family became too demanding and he was forced to give up his studies. The family returned to Ireland in 1973. He continued to paint. He exhibited rarely but had private followers in Ireland and the UK. During this time he had paintings accepted to the prestigious RHA Summer Exhibitions in 1988 and 1993. He died just as he neared the completion of a set of works intended for a solo exhibition.

Practice

He researched his paintings sitting in fields and graveyards with his sketchbook and watercolours, then finished the works on a painter's easel at home. He worked primarily in oils and distemper (which was unusual for the times), but allowed him to achieve the palette that he needed. He worked mostly on board rather than canvas. He was influenced by the works of Morandi and the theories of

colour psychology Color psychology is the study of hues as a determinant of human behavior. Color influences perceptions that are not obvious, such as the taste of food. Colors have qualities that can cause certain emotions in people. How color influences indivi ...

. He was interested in popular science and natural history and had an extensive library of these as well as art topics.

Provenance

* Included in the 'Off the Wall' Exhibition (Morgan O'Driscoll) 2014 (Posthumously) * Exhibited in th
People's Art Exhibition, St Stephens Green
Dublin 2004 * Exhibite
Royal Hibernian Academy
in the 163rd Summer Exhibition 1993. * Exhibite
Royal Hibernian Academy
in the 158th Summer Exhibition 1988 * Held in the public collection of the Department of Economics o
University College Cork
* Work held in private collections in Ireland and the UK He was contemporary to

William Crozier William Crozier may refer to: *William Crozier (artillerist) (1855–1942), American general, artillerist and inventor *William Crozier (Scottish artist) (1893–1930) * William Crozier (Irish artist) (1930–2011) * William Crozier (cricketer) (187 ...

, Tony O'Malley,Tony O'Malley
/ref> Charles Brady,

Markey Robinson David Marcus Robinson ( – 28 January 1999) was an Irish painter and sculptor with a primitive representational style. Early life Robinson was born on in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the son of a house painter. Robinson began drawing at an ...

, Patrick Scott and Sean Scully.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Brian Irish artists 1933 births 2005 deaths