Proof of Faith

The art of Bryan Collins is described as whimsical and dreamlike. With pencil and paint, Bryan puts his dreams and visions into a tangible, visible form. Each piece begins as a pencil drawing where it is worked out on paper before going to canvas. The outlines of his subjects are the only real map he uses to paint his work. Color comes forth as each element in the piece unfolds. Bryan rarely sets forth to use certain colors, but rather lets the piece dictate moment by moment the overall finished design. He spends anywhere from 10-100 hours per painting, not including drawing time. The most difficult thing Bryan has to do as an artist is to let a piece be finished. He is an obsessive perfectionist by nature and regards this trait as a gift and a curse all in one.

Bryan strives to convey multiple messages within each piece, one that is somewhat obvious, then a few that are more enigmatic. Not all of the meanings are even known to him. After viewing his work, people often reveal things to Bryan about his own paintings that he didn't previously understand. This is a great part of the necessity for him to create art, since through it, he believes God shares little messages to bring some slice of understanding about the universe as a whole. Bryan is a believing Christian and often uses the canvas to make sense of his spiritual struggles and accomplishments.