Interview
Brian Boylan
Brian Boylan was born in Dublin, Ireland and spent his youth in Skerries county Dublin. He loves the ocean and fished lobsters with his father and later commercially fished out of Skerries harbor as a summer job. He joined Sullivan/Bluth Studios to work on his first animation projects; An American Tale and The Land Before Time. He then traveled to London to work with Disney on Who Framed Rodger Rabbit. Then to Sydney, Australia for a number of TV projects. His career then brought him to Los Angeles where he worked for major studios including Disney, Dreamworks, and Warner Brothers (to name a few). With the introduction of computer animation, he decided to become a stay at home Dad after the birth of his daughters, Sophi and Erica. Having a bit more time, he was able to develop his art style and exhibit his art across America. He looks forward to displaying his artwork in Ireland where his art is inspired from.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“After growing up on harbor road, I spent my youth fishing lobsters with my father as a summer job. In my spare time, I was always interested in drawing, but never thought I could make it my career. After two years of college, I joined Sullivan/Bluth Studios , one of the first animation studios in Dublin. I traveled to London to work on Who Framed Rodger Rabbit. My career then took me to Australia for television projects, and finally landed me in Los Angeles. Here, I continued to work with major animation studios including Disney, Warner Brothers, and Dreamworks (to name a few). After the births of my daughters, Sophi and Erica, I became a stay at home Dad which gave me more time to develop my art. I continue to exhibit my work across America. Next stop: Ireland!”
What inspires you?
“My daughters, Sophi and Erica, continue to inspire me everyday as well as the beautiful scenery around me. I'm also inspired by simple everyday things, ancient Celtic stone art, the beautiful art of the Celtic monks, and the ocean.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I have a variety of themes, each work having its own story. Whether it is an old Celtic legend, a night in the pub, or a fisherman out in the harsh sea.”
How would you describe your work?
“Beautiful and for sale.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Pablo Picasso, Gustav Clint, and Yuroz.”
“I have a variety of themes, each work having its own story. Whether it is an old Celtic legend, a night in the pub, or a fisherman out in the harsh sea.”
What is your creative process like?
“Hap hazard. I start with an idea which gets completely transformed during its creation. I seem to always end up with something completely different than what I started with. Not very structured.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“It's my way of interpreting the world around me and sharing my life experience.”
Instagram: @celticcolors
