Brian Pittman

I was raised in a small town on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where most residents remained for their entire lives; those who did leave typically followed one of two avenues; through athletic scholarships or joining the military. Though one could be fortunate to be awarded an academic scholarship or parents with appropriate funding to send one to college. I wasn’t interested in either of those avenues. Art was my main interest and I even won a small scholarship to the Memphis College of Art, through which I hoped would be my escape from my life in my hometown. Unfortunately, my family could not afford to support me in school, even with my scholarship. Heartbroken and jaded, I enlisted in the Navy.

Surprisingly, the military did give a poor young man an opportunity to travel internationally and granted me the ability me the privilege of experiencing different cultures and their contribution to the world of art. For countless hours, I studied the techniques of painters such as Adolph Menzel and the sculptor Auguste Rodin. At the time, I was unaware how much studying the masters would advance my skills as an artist by “stealing” their techniques. This experience inspired me even more to pursue the fine arts to present day.