BIOGRAPHY, COMMENTS & SELECTED OWNERS ETC
Born in Nottinghamshire in 1945. As the son of an amateur artist I became familiar from an early
age, with the strange smell of linseed oil and turpentine. I attended classes at Mansfield School of Art from the age of 10 and the charcoaled fingers and fleeting glimpses into the life-classrooms were indelible experiences and stimulated my interest in the opposite of figurative stillness. Following which, my involvement in both studying figurative movement and sport combined, for if not playing football or cricket every daylight hour (in preparation of playing for England) I was sketching some athletic action or other - I remember at this time I entered a competition in a national newspaper with a crayoned action drawing of my idol, goalkeeper Bert Williams of Wolves and England fame, and won first prize of a box of Reeves watercolour paints - which I still have!
Anyway I somehow managed to remain undiscovered by the scouts from Forest, Wolves or Notts County and found myself subsequently painting much more than playing.
Imagery & the Colour of Movement
I now always paint in oils and acrylics, using brush and knife in a range
of textures from a thin brushed wash through to a heavy knifed impasto.
My application has developed over 35 years or so by mostly being more
concerned with the loose application of positive colours rather than the
clinical line and detailed illustrative precision. It has proved a steep
learning curve attempting to impact an emotion in this way.
It may be that thinking positively can be self-inspiring enough to pursue a personal achievement or lasting contentment. The pliability and colour-fusion of painting in oils is theraputic and challenging, the same process is easier applied but the end product harder to attain when using fast-drying acrylics - for unlike oils - it just refuses to be pushed around. It demands a kind of strata-painting in order to build up the same desired interference of tone and mark or ghosting effect - something I aspire to in trying to capture the emotion and colour of movement in its millisecond prime - a visually impossible surreal glimpse of a connection to a parallel universe of stillness in action. A bit obscure I know but I think thats the nearest I can get to explaining a modus operandi.
With Bert Williams
From SOTHEBY’S SALE CATALOGUE JULY 1998
“Brian West began painting at in oils at an early age later attending Mansfield College of Art. In his professional career West has specialised in sporting imagery, seeking to portray the drama, colour and spectacle of the sporting world. He has exhibited widely with great success and has been commissioned by many famous names from the world of sport, including Gary Lineker OBE, Peter Shilton MBE.OBE, Gordon Strachan OBE Sir Alex Ferguson CBE, Sir Jack Haywood, David Gower OBE and many others; as well as painting commissions for sporting institutions such as The Football Association, The Sports Council, Wembley Stadium plc, The British Olympic Sailing Team and various football, cricket and rugby clubs.
Brian is a very active artist and I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in his work in the future."
“Brian West began painting at in oils at an early age later attending Mansfield College of Art. In his professional career West has specialised in sporting imagery, seeking to portray the drama, colour and spectacle of the sporting world. He has exhibited widely with great success and has been commissioned by many famous names from the world of sport, including Gary Lineker OBE, Peter Shilton MBE.OBE, Gordon Strachan OBE Sir Alex Ferguson CBE, Sir Jack Haywood, David Gower OBE and many others; as well as painting commissions for sporting institutions such as The Football Association, The Sports Council, Wembley Stadium plc, The British Olympic Sailing Team and various football, cricket and rugby clubs.
Brian is a very active artist and I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in his work in the future."
Graham Budd, Sotheby’s, New Bond street, London
"Brian’s work is increasing in value and is obviously
getting the recognition it rightly deserves"
Sir Alex Ferguson CBE, Manchester United FC
Specialising in collating a number of subjects and ideas fused into a personal montage to tell a
unique and powerful visual story, his paintings are owned by many famous names, companies and
unique and powerful visual story, his paintings are owned by many famous names, companies and
institutions. An impressionistic type style - developed over thirty years - that bounces between realism
and partial abstraction with sort of fauvist-like, though softer, use of primary colours. Fleeting moments
captured sometimes with an effect so suited to the catching of athletic action. This can be
seen to good effect through a range of subject matter and themes including sporting action and
figurative/abstract imagery, such as in his sport/football nostalgia collections and famous player
action montages. Michael Lawrence
 David Gower |  Peter Shilton |  Glenn Hoddle |  Dave Mackay |
SELECTED PRESS CUTTINGS
"Sports artist to the sports elite".................The Independent
"Sports artist to the sports elite".................The Independent
"The UK’s leading football artist"................... The Daily Mail
"His paintings capture the game’s allure" .....................The Times
BOOKS
Sleeve Cover picture on ‘Canto del Cigno - Marco Van Basten’ ... pub.2004
Sleeve Cover picture on ‘ISIS Bob Dylan Anthology’ ...pub by Helter Skelter
Comment contained within ‘The Real Mackay’….by Dave Mackay & Martin Knight
Picture of Villa debut goal commissioned painting... ’Walking Tall, My Story’ ...by Peter Crouch
Sleeve Cover picture on ‘Canto del Cigno - Marco Van Basten’ ... pub.2004
Sleeve Cover picture on ‘ISIS Bob Dylan Anthology’ ...pub by Helter Skelter
Comment contained within ‘The Real Mackay’….by Dave Mackay & Martin Knight
Picture of Villa debut goal commissioned painting... ’Walking Tall, My Story’ ...by Peter Crouch
VHS VIDEO
‘The Gordon Strachan Story...Good Times, Hard Times’....his favourite goal painting commission comment & appearance on video
’Brian began painting at junior school where teachers recognised his talent and encouraged him to attend art college. Following an apprenticeship in engineering, Brian launched his own production engineering company, filing a number of development patents and later became a successful entrepreneur - managing businesses involved in the design and manufacture of mining machinery, acrylic fabrications, textiles equipment, sportswear and screenprinting development - still painting in his spare time. In 1990 he decided to become a full-time artist. Since then his work has been commissioned and collected by businesses and sports personalities. His unique ability to ’capture the moment’ makes his work particularly relevant to the sponsor yet remaining appealing to the casual viewer. Such is its appeal you can find Brians work in boardrooms, reception areas, offices and the private houses of business leaders, as collectors or as a gift from colleagues’.
Richard Johnson - Company Director and lifelong friend
EXHIBITIONS, SALES & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Blacks Leisure Plc
Tim Robinson. Notts CCC & England
Blacks Leisure Plc
Tim Robinson. Notts CCC & England
Mansfield Museum Gallery...solo exhibition
Harlequins Football Club
Gary Lineker OBE
Osborne Studio Gallery, Belgravia, London
Peter Shilton MBE.,OBE
Derby County FC...player montages
Richmond Hill Sporting Gallery..lost work 89/90
Will Carling
Ashfield Council Leisure Centre Ice Rink Murals
John Barnes MBE
Alan Smith. ex Arsenal & England (Sky/Telegraph)
National Training Centre, Nottingham...solo exhibition 91
David Gower OBE
Wembley Stadium Plc..permanent display Olymp.Gallery/Recept.
Leicester City FC...reception room murals & player prints
Lords Taverners Charity Auction...courtesy Trevor Bennett
Wingfield Sporting Gallery, London..91/92/93
The Football Association...Wembley Banquet Hall solo exhibition
Graeme LeSaux
Sony Music Entertainment Europe, London
Sir Alex Ferguson CBE
John Hartson
Kenney Jones...Hurtwood Park Polo Club, Surrey
Kenney Jones...Hurtwood Park Polo Club, Surrey
Cobi Jones & Roy Wegerle..ex Coventry City & Team USA
Lord Whitelaw...for Lady Cunliffe-Lister family, Burton Agnes Hall
Roy Bentley...Chelsea FC & England
Patchings Farm Art Centre, artist of the year exhibitions
The Sports Aid Foundation...funding auction sale
Matt Elliott,Gerry Taggart,Matt Jones...career montages Leicester City FC
Aston Villa FC...Mr Doug Ellis, Chairman, portrait
Royal Yachting Association, 96/2000/2004/2008 Olympics Teams, Sail For Gold Sales, London Hilton
England 1966 World Cup Team Reunion..montage & prints
Glenn Hoddle
National Football Show 94, G-Mex Centre, Manchester..solo display
Peter Ridsdale..Leeds Utd Euro campaign montage
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF UK) Presidents retirement commemoration
Billy Wright...courtesy Mrs Joy Wright
Coventry City FC...limited edition prints
Coventry City FC...limited edition prints
Art 92 London Contemporary Fair,Business Design Fair, Islington
Gary McAllister MBE
Sir Bert Millichip...courtesy The FA, Lancaster Gate
The Sports Council..East Mids, pictorial signage
Bert Williams..Wolves & England
Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire...solo exhibition
Gordon Strachan OBE...featured on his 92 video release
Rachael Heyhoe-Flint MBE
Sotheby’s, New Bond Street, London
Everton FC
Michael Lawrence Galleries, East Yorkshire
Sir Jack Hayward...Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
Gordon Taylor, Professional Footballers Association..career montages
Danny Murphy
Danny Murphy
The SportsAid Ball Auction,Olympic Medal Winners ptg, Intercontinental, London
Dave Mackay...Spurs & Scotland
The National Football Museum, Preston...nostalgia prints
Peter Crouch
Hibernian FC - Triple CIS Cupwinners montage
British Olympic Association - ’Legends’ montage for Beijing 08
British Olympic Association - ’Legends’ montage for Beijing 08