Bio About The Artist

May Brandt Art

Showcasing paintings by artist May Brandt

About Me

A serene swamp scene with a heron by the water.

My Background

My Inspiration

My Background

When I was in kindergarten, my favorite time of day was art class. Later In college I studied art and eventually received an MFA in studio art and taught art for many years.

Boat docked by a serene waterfront with palm trees and clear skies.

My Medium

My Inspiration

My Background

I started out with pencils and watercolor, experimenting a little with oil painting. Later In graduate school I adopted oils as my primary medium. Watercolors, however, are still used for sketching. I have been showing my oil paintings in numerous juried shows and recently had two artist solo shows.

Sailboats anchored in calm water under a pastel sky at sunset.

My Inspiration

My earliest paintings were mostly still lifes done in the studio. In retirement I moved to Florida and began painting in"plein air." I am inspired by the marvelous, lush scenery and the play of light and shadow on it.

May Brandt Artist's Bio

Education

2002 MA in Art Therapy - Sage Graduate School, Albany, NY

1986 MFA in Painting - State University of NY at Albany, Albany, NY

1981 Art Education Teaching Certificate, Long Island University, Brookville, NY

1964 BA - Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Employment

1975 - 1981 Substitute Art Teacher elementary and secondary

1982 Long Island University Graduate Teaching Assistantship

1983 - 84 State Universinyty of New York at Albany Graduate Teaching Assistantship

1985 - 2005. Sage Colleges of Albany Art Instructor

Selected Exhibitions

2011-2022 Annual Art By The Sea Juried Exhibit Vero Beach Art Museum Vero Beach FL - Second Prize in 2012

2018 Plein Air Paintings of the Treasure Coast - Solo Show, Artists Guild Gallery, Vero Beach, FL

2017 Plein Air Paintings - Solo Show, Emerson Center Foyer Gallery, Vero Beach FL

Artist's Statement

I started my serious art -making journey, doing still lives in the studio. I was involved with formal elements and creating a narrative with ordinary animate and inanimate every day objects. Setting up light sources to create an interesting overlay of illumination and shadow was very important.

After moving to Florida, I started painting landscapes in "plein air". The beautiful skies, water, and lush foliage were my inspiration. Once again the light and shadow played a big part in my choice of subject. I feel as if I am chasing the light.