ABOUT

A passion for sports art …I found myself subsequently painting much more than playing.

As the son of an amateur artist I became familiar from an early age with the strange smell of linseed oil and turpentine. In the village community in which I spent my formative and teenage years it was a way of life and nearly obligatory to be sports minded. A ‘never-a-dull-moment’ sort of place full of local role models, all seemingly good at either football or cricket or running. Very few had television - and radio didn’t keep a budding Matthews or Compton indoors … when rain never stopped play. When I was ten my only desire was to obtain my first pair of football boots and was selected to play in goal for my Boys Junior School Team – wicked !

I attended classes at Mansfield School of Art at that time (under Principal Phillip Sutton), and the charcoal covered fingers and fleeting glimpses into the life-classrooms were indelible ‘new world’ experiences, though did strangely result in stimulating my interest in the opposite of posed stillness. Following which, my involvement in studying figurative movement and sport combined, for if not playing cricket or football every daylight hour of every day I was sketching some athletic action or other. I remember also at this time I entered a competition in The Daily Express 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! Ever since playing for that junior school team and local league sides after … just to try to emulate him even a little bit was powerfully all embracing. Many years later I am proud to have called him a valued friend. Real reliable role models are rare.

Anyway, left with my Cup Final pipe dreams I remained undiscovered by the scouts from Forest, Wolves or Notts County et al (though still hopeful, don’t think it’s going to happen now) and instead found myself subsequently painting sports much more than playing sports. However perhaps just as gratifyingly I did later appear a number of times at the great Wembley Stadium, courtesy of the FA … with matchday hospitality exhibitions there of my player sports paintings.

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 – not cutting edge electronically speaking – though a well proven method of making a picture. My application has developed over 35 years or so by mostly being more concerned with the loose application of positive colours rather than the respected clinical line and detailed illustrative precision. It has proved a steep learning curve accepting this, to attempt to achieve the desired emotional effect in this way, to capture the transient ‘colour of movement’ in its millisecond instant.

Exhibitions & Owners List

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.. 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
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
The Coach-House Gallery, Guernsey … solo exhibition
Aston Villa FC…Mr Doug Ellis, Chairman, portrait
Royal Yachting Association, 96/2000/2004/2008/2012/2016 Olympics, ‘Sail For Gold’ Ball Sales, London Hilton on Park Lane
England 1966 World Cup Team Reunion..montage & prints
Glenn Hoddle
National Football Show 94, G-Mex Centre, Manchester..solo display

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF UK) Presidents retirement commemoration
Billy Wright…courtesy Mrs Joy Wright
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 MBE ..Wolves & England
Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire…solo exhibition
Gordon Strachan OBE…inc featured on his 92 video release
Dame Rachael Heyhoe-Flint MBE
Sotheby’s, New Bond Street, London .. Football/Horse racing Sales
Everton FC
Michael Lawrence Galleries, East Yorkshire
Sir Jack Hayward…Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
Gordon Taylor, Professional Footballers Association..career montages
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 – ’Olympic Legends’ montage for Beijing 08
Alfred East Art Gallery, Kettering…solo show ’The Colour Of Movement’
Stamford Arts Centre, Stamford, Lincs… solo show
Erik Nevland … Fulham & Norway.. Career To Date Montage
Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham …’The Art Of Sport’ June-Sept 2009
Peter Bonetti
Newark Town Hall, Spotlight Gallery..solo show ’Sporting Life’ Aug/Sept 09
Life – The Gallery, Farnham, Surrey
03 Gallery, Oxford Castle ..Brit.Telecom Art Of Sport 2012 Exhibitions
Whitewall Gallery, Manchester ”
Lewis Elton Gallery at Surrey University ”
Clarendon Fine Art, Mayfair, London ”
The Mall Galleries, London .. Society of Equestrian Artists ‘The Horse In Art’ 2013

COMMENDATIONS

“Brian’s work is obviously getting the recognition it rightly deserves.”

Sir Alex Ferguson

"Exhibition interview, Guernsey"

Radio BBC South

"Effect so suited to the catching of athletic action"

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 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 music icons and figurative/abstract imagery, such as in his action-study portraiture collections and famous player action montages.
Michael Lawrence Galleries

"In the Frame"

Nottinghamshire TODAY magazine

Brians Olympic Art- Nottingham Post- This is Nottingham

"Brian’s Olympic Art"

"His paintings capture the game’s allure…"

The Times

The Daily Express

"’specialising in football canvases…"

"The UK’s leading football artist…"

The Daily Mail

"Sports artist to the sports elite…"

The Independent

"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.
Graham Budd, New Bond Street, London – SOTHEBY’S RACING & FOOTBALL SALE

Books:

‘Canto del Cigno’ by Andrea Scanzi and Marco Van Basten. Published 2004 – Sleeve cover picture

‘ISIS Bob Dylan Anthology’ by Derek Barker. Published by Helter Skelter 2001 – Sleeve Cover Picture
‘The Real Mackay’ by Dave Mackay and Martin Knight – Comment
’Walking Tall, My Story’ by Peter Crouch and Sam Wallace – Villa debut goal commissioned painting
‘Sports in Society’ by Dr E.C.J. Pike. Published by Open University Press Cover picture

Magazines:

Artists & Illustrators. June 2008 – The Outside Favourites: Featured in joint profile
Isis Magazine, issues 95/2001 & 146/2009 – Front and Back Covers featuring Bob Dylan paintings
It’s All About You Magazine, issue 6 2009 – Real Life, Real People’ double page feature
The Chelsea Official Magazine, August 02 – Blue is the Colour
Nottinghamshire TODAY magazine, August 02 – In The Frame
Foyer .. London’s Premier Magazine, May 2014 – Competition prize commission.

VHS:

‘The Gordon Strachan Story…Good Times, Hard Times’ – His favourite goal painting commission comment & video appearance

Interviews:

Royal Yachting Association – Interview with Karenza Morton
BBC Television – East Midlands Today on 11/4/12. ‘Sail For Gold 2012′ painting wip report
BBC RADIO South – interview at Guernsey gallery
BBC RADIO DERBY – Player montage prints of Rams squad + competition