Believability is very important to me in my work, not just in realism, but in the emotional, human connection I often feel toward the subject.  I believe my personal circumstances have made me more aware of things.  Growing up, health problems kept me from doing things others could do.  As a result, my senses and appreciation for things have been sharpened.   I feel a need to be as accurate to time of day, season and weather in my paintings as I possibly can.  The changing seasons and cycles  are so fleeting, I want to capture and record their subtle nuances and celebrate each in my work.  Certain scenes and subjects evoke a personal response, to which I might highlight a color or passage that, in my mind is "felt" rather than seen.  Have you ever noticed an autumn leaf fall into the waters of a quiet stream?  Many times the most powerful images are those that are more difficult to see, being small or subtle.  I want to use my heightened awareness to full advantage and give the viewer a deeper understanding.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
 
Brian Kliewer was born and raised in Rockland, Maine. Early in childhood he showed an affinity for art, with drawing being a prime interest. During grade school, his teachers and family encouraged his interest. After being diagnosed with a disabling condition as a boy (a situation that would eventually see him leaving school before high school), this interest only grew stronger. Among those first impressed by the young artist's work was former United States President, Jimmy Carter. Kliewer was only fourteen years old when he gave the president a painting nearly five feet in length, depicting the Maine coast. When Mr. Carter saw it, he said, "It's hard to believe that anyone as young could produce work of such high quality." By the time Brian reached the age of eighteen he was getting praise for his work from many quarters. An art teacher saw his work for the first time and stated, "In more than thirty years of teaching, I've never seen anyone come so far on their own."  The teacher suggested that the young artist enroll in a correspondence art course to further his interest, but that he should 'only take what he needed', since he was so far along with his work.  Of the course, the artist now says, "It was a good one. It really emphasized drawing skills and it beefed mine up."  This was evidenced by Kliewer's winning the school's President's Prize award twice for drawing in 1982.  The contest, held monthly, featured the work of hundreds of students from the United States and its possessions, and Canada and Mexico. His winning efforts were in portrait/figure drawing and drapery. Already being so well advanced in his studies, he finished the two-year course in only nine months' time.

Completely self-taught in painting, Kliewer began showing his work at The Pine Tree Shop & Bayview Gallery in Camden, Maine, in the autumn of 1988.  The following year, artist Edward Hergelroth saw Kliewer's work for the first time and said, "It's hard to believe that anyone this young and with so little formal training could produce such an incredible sense of drama and atmosphere in his work." Collectors were soon taken with his paintings and the gallery dedicated an entire show to his work at its Portland, Maine location early in 1991. His show of Maine landscapes was a near sellout. In 1995 the Camden gallery offered "Brian Kliewer-A Full Perspective" to its audience and the show nearly sold out on its first weekend! Another successful show followed in 1996. In 2001, Kliewer showed in "Two Views of New England," a two-man show at Mast Cove Galleries in Kennebunkport, Maine.  In 2005 the artist was selected by curator, Margaret Bodell, to have his first show in New York City.

COLLECTIONS