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An Interview With Harley Brown Julie Mardell

Harley Brown’s Self-portrait as Paranoid

The Canadian artist Harley Brown is my greatest contemporary hero. I came across Harley’s

work for the first time only two years ago, when I read one of his regular articles in

International Artist magazine. Harley is best known for his pastel portraits of Native

American Indians and other characters of the Wild West. All Harley’s portraits possess what

can best be described as “heart and soul”. Wide-eyed Indian maidens, stately chiefs and

craggy faced natives of South America gaze out from Harley’s instantly recognisable multi-

coloured backgrounds in calm and dignified communication with the viewer.

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Harley Brown spent his early years in Canada, firstly in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and then

in Calgary, Alberta. He paid for his training at the Alberta College of Art by playing honky-

tonk piano in a night club, before attending the Camberwell School of Art in London and

spending many years travelling, painting and teaching in art workshops. He now lives with

his wife, Carol, in Tucson, Arizona, where he is a member of the Tucson Seven, a group of

renowned western artists. Harley has illustrated many magazine covers, written three

bestselling books, Confessions of a Starving Artist, Eternal Truth’s for Every Artist and

Inspiration For Every Artist and is a regular contributor to International Artist Magazine.

Harley has very kindly agreed to give us a personal insight into his life and work.

JM: Harley, you have made it clear in your writing that you always wanted to be an artist. If

that hadn't been possible, what would you have like to have done to earn a living?

HB: For sure, I would never have done anything where I felt I was "working for a living." Or

having a boss. So, for a while I was thinking about playing classic piano, as I was seriously

training. Suddenly, I fell into jazz piano and that became an obsession. To this day, I've

always figured if no one buys another painting, I'll play in a club. A third option: write for a

travel magazine; assuming they send me all over the world.

JM: I understand that you have been influenced by Rembrandt, Sorolla, Sargent, Fechin,

Repin and Velázquez. Can you pick any one of these as being particularly important to you

and your art? What have

you learned from these masters, and did you ever copy any of their paintings?

HB: I can honestly say that I've picked fairly evenly from each of these masters. And each has

a definite, and extremely personal approach to their art. These artists actually have shown

many us the way quite openly. For instance, I studied Rembrandt even when I was 10 years

old, and his brush work and tonality opened my eyes at his directness and at the same time,

immense care with where he put those lights and shadows. Deceivingly simple yet at the

same time with a grand touch of genius. The only artist I've ever copied was Rembrandt and

that was when I was quite young. But it opened up doors in my aesthetic mind. There are

many greats with whom I've learned. Here's an old saying: "If you copy from one artist it’s

called plagiarism and if you copy from many it's called research." I'm always researching!

Detail from Feather

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JM: Who do you admire

amongst contemporary

portrait artists?

HB: Without question,

Bettina Steinke stands out

in the contemporary

portrait world. She rose

above most others because

of her brilliant technical

skills and immense

drawing talent. But most of

all, one could see her

profound love of the

human face. For decades,

she inspired me and we

finally met and became

friends.

JM: It took 30 years for

you to become well known.

How did you survive

financially during that

period and did you ever

think of giving up and

doing something else?

HB: One survives if one

does not give up. In the

early years, I had bill

collectors after me, rent

due, food to buy and no

money coming. But knocking on enough doors, all I needed was one sale; which eventually

always happened. I would do portraits in taverns, fair grounds, restaurants, wherever and for a

dollar a portrait. Three things happened with each portrait: I got a little survival money; I

learned a little more about art and life; and each time I got stronger with my commitment.

There was no way on earth, other than an asteroid hitting me, that I was through. But most

important, not once in my wacky life did I ever think that I was a failure. Not once. I wasn't

hoping to be an artist. I was an artist.

Then a major break came when I was down to a single dime in my pocket. It happened in

Helena, Montana. I had gone to restaurants, frame shops, department stores, asking anyone if

they'd be interested in showing my works. They all rejected me. Then in a flight of fancy, I

decided to go to the state museum. Not only did curator Bob Morgan want my works but he

was prepared to have a one man show for me. "Can you get me 50 works by this summer,"

Bob asked. "Oh, yes I can," I declared, feeling like I could take flight. We had the show and

most of the paintings sold. Dealers and patrons and fellow artists came to see my exhibit at

this important museum. It changed my life. I've had many other breaks, but this one was a

turning point.

Ahyoka

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JM: You are reaping the

rewards of your talents now. I

know your portrait of Chief

Sitting Bull sold well at

auction!

HB: Yes, that painting of

Sitting Bull sold for over

thirty thousand dollars. That

was also when the economy

was booming. The very next

year, when the economy went

bust, the same auction sold a

work of mine for around

twelve

thousand. That's very good

money incidentally, but in the

art world, nothing is certain.

Let's put it another way: if I

never sold another painting, I

would very happily continue

life on a very modest scale. I

enjoyed myself in my early

poverty days. Money didn't

buy me happiness because I

was already happy.

JM: You are best known for your portraits of Native American Indians. Do they form the bulk

of what you paint or are they simply better known?

HB: Native People are really what I'm known for portraying. Mostly with my galleries and

shows. But I have done many portrayals of present day and historic celebrities for magazine

covers. As well, in my travels, I have painted individuals from far corners of the world. From

the South Pacific to Russia to Mexico, Canada, England and South America. Yes, my work

mostly consists of Native Americans. I've done drawings of them since the 1950s. I lived only

blocks away from a large community of these amazing people. So I would often walk over

and sketch them. Inspiring part of my life!

JM: Commissions were your bread and butter in your early career. Do you ever do

commissions now?

HB: I do very few commissions now but will do them if I like the person or situation. For

instance, I just finished painting a Hollywood director. Plus I do portraits for magazine covers

and sometimes a noted politician. Commissioned portraits are a special challenge that I take

extremely seriously; something that I periodically love to do.

Sitting Bull

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JM: Of your works, which is your own personal favourite?

HB: That might be like asking who is my favorite grandchild. But I have a few that I've

enjoyed. Yet, for most of my works, once it is finished, I quietly say goodbye to it. I've hardly

ever needed to keep one of my pieces; the thrill is in the doing.

There's a portrait I did of Christopher Lee as Dracula. This was for a film magazine.

I'll mention one more

portrait of a character. I

can't mention who it is

because it is going to be in a

major book coming out this

fall. I can say that it took

longer to paint than any

other that I've done in my

life. Yet, to look at it, you

would think it was finished

in a day. It also took a toll

on my mind because I kept

working to bring out the

essence of the

character........week after

week. Finally one

afternoon, the final strokes

and finished! I had to turn it

towards the wall; I was

afraid I'd keep fussing with

it. I immediately framed it

and shipped it off. It still

haunts me.

I did the drawing of a dog in Peru. I wanted to

make him immortal; he was alone and deserved

it. So I placed him in an article in International

Artist magazine.

Above: Christopher Lee as Dracula

Right: Peruvian Dog

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Also, and I hope I'm not being biased, I like a portrait I did of myself as a paranoid [detail

above]. It is very close to the real me and is about as close as I've ever gotten to digging in to

the personality of a subject. It is different and continues to have a fresh feel when I look at it.

JM: Most of your work is soft pastel. Why do you prefer pastels to oils or any other medium?

HB: In a word, pastels are immediate. They are the ultimate form of combining drawing with

painting. I started with oils early in my career in the galleries. But as time went by, I kept

reverting back to pastels. I had worked with pastels since my school days and felt a kindred

spirit to them. Using the soft pastels and my fingers became so very natural to me.

They are really part of my life; like eating and sleeping and conversation. They are my real

form of expression. If I don't do a pastel for a few days, I get quite melancholy. They are not

only my love but also my good therapy. In fact, when I'm a bit down, within the first few

strokes of a soft pastel, I'm back on top of the world again. This is not an exaggeration.

JM: Do you have a favourite brand of pastel and pastel surface and do you use ny particular

set of colours for your portraits?

HB: I've used all the brands known. Whether through sets or individual colors. I've gotten to

know the various traits of each label whether the subtle differences of colors and the feel of

the pastel as it goes onto paper.

Detail from Self Portrait as Paranoid

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Some brands are much better than others and even some colors within the same brand are

variable in quality. Each artist demands a particular type of pastel, in shape, color assortment,

hardness, size, quality of performance.

Over the past years, I've begun to have my own made for me. I have learned exactly what I

need over the decades. My set is very personal in size and color and softness. The colors I've

chosen are those I "can't live without." The set unites all the best that I've experimented with

throughout the years. Others might like my set, but it suits my needs perfectly.

The paper I use and have used for so many years is Canson. I love the way it "grabs" the

pastel strokes. And incidentally, I use the smoother side as I feel the waffled side is too

mechanical for my taste. Once in a while, for a smaller piece, I work with sand paper. It has a

character all its own and is a joy to work with. It's all about the paper "obeying" what the

artist is after. Obeying and even adding to the performance.

JM: You have always felt compelled to draw and paint, and you draw every day-but where do

you find your inspiration for subject matter? Do you see a face you simply must paint, or do

you have an idea and then go looking for the right face?

HB: My inspiration mostly comes from moment to moment unless I have a specific project

to do. For instance, my article in the June/July 2010 issuse of International Artist came from

my sitting at a supper table in Helena, Montana and seeing a marvelous face across from me,

lit by an overhead light. She was my grand daughter-in-law, Caitlin. There was no question

that she must be painted. All of my works start the same way: I must paint them without

doubt. And this feeling happens several times a day so I sort out what I can reasonably

accomplish.

I just got off an airplane a few days ago and

was greatly inspired by an airline hostess.

So much so that I took a quick photo of her,

(it was perfect,) and will probably use it,

with her permission, in a future article. She

had a rare charisma and put smiles on the

faces of all the passengers.

At the airport, I saw an elderly gentleman

sitting alone, asleep. A perfect and natural

"pose." I took a photo of him. I never have

looked for inspiring subjects, they keep

leaping out at me. The lighting, the colors,

the shapes, the forms, the expressions, the

emotions... they're all out there awaiting.

I've been to open studios to draw. Once in a

while, they'll have a model on the platform

that isn't all that inspiring; whether it's the

lighting, the pose or the model. But the

minute I put down the first stroke, I'm

excited beyond belief. This is true. I'll El Paso

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discover subtle things I've never seen before. And when the session is over, I'm elated. All the

troubles in the world disappear. And without exception, I'm so glad I came to the session and

experienced that moment.

There are times, I'll have an idea and then search around for the right model. This is a bit

more complicated but it always ends up a bit different that it started. I have one piece that was

in a major show. It was of a Native mother and child. I changed everything around in this

large drawing. Everything.

Even the models were changed along with their positions. The only thing that was left from

the original was the lady's hand holding a shawl. I know of many artists who go through the

same transformations. The best part is that our excitement through these stages does not

diminish. It's because we're always advancing ahead towards a goal.

JM: Do you mostly paint from life or from photos?

At the start of my career, I worked strictly from life. Sometimes life in the raw. Whether in

beer parlors, restaurants, down dark streets, a brothel (where I worked as a pianist.) Over

those years, I studied and understood the shapes of faces and figures on the move. I even went

door to door doing portraits on the spot; for a few dollars apiece. Endless life drawings.

Eventually, because of circumstances, I had to take photographs because the people whom I

wanted to paint often didn't have the time. They might be laborers, children at play, a famous

person with little time to spare. When I take photographs, I take them by the hundreds

digitally. I always take them myself because I know what I want. (Unless I'm doing the

portrait of a historic figure.)

Detail from Feather

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JM: At the moment, there seems to be a push towards absolute realism. How you feel about

paintings which are indistinguishable from photographs?

HB: Regarding highly detailed paintings, I've becoming much less critical of the artists who

put in the hard work towards photographic realism. First I'm often impressed with the

photograph they took in the first place and from which they work. But I so often see why their

love of the details is an obsession. Also, it is most difficult for the artist not to have his own

personal touch within those fussed areas. Part of my benevolence is because many of my

colleagues are highly detailed artists and I have understood their minds and approach for

many years. Certainly there are cases where artists who do these works might be afraid to

escape from the confines of their photographs.

JM: Do you know before you start what the composition and colours will be or do these

evolve as you paint?

With portraits, I'll often take some chances and see what happens during the painting. It does

evolve as one thing leads to another. This keeps my adrenaline going. On the other hand, if it

is a more complicated subject or a group portrait, I'll often do a small sketch of it for my

benefit and sometimes for the person commissioning the painting.

JM: What, in your view, makes a successful portrait and a successful artist?

HB: In my own terms, I know my portrait is a success when I feel the heart beating within the

portrait. At that point not another stroke. A successful commissioned portrait must have part

of the subject and part of the artist within it. Twenty artists will paint the very same subject

twenty different ways and each will be different. Most important, and something that took me

a few years to understand, is that I don't paint to impress the subject. The person came to me

Detail from Feather, rotated 90 degrees.

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and therefore I "call the shots." At the same time,

I don't take advantage of buyers, I always give

them my best. I work hard for them but that's

Harley Brown, (and the subject,) on the paper or

canvas.

A successful artist is generally one who is

always open to learning and developing. Who is

intensely interested in subjects to paint and not

just self indulgence. I have never actually

thought in terms of success or failure. Even

when I wasn't selling for weeks on end. Nor later

when I might win a gold medal at a show. The

latter is a great honor, but it doesn't change my

attitude of humbly honoring nature and working

even harder. To me, success doesn't mean lots of

money and prestige. Success is being happy with

what I do. And that's the whole reason I became

an artist.

JM: What is the most valuable piece of advice you were given in your career?

HB: Please allow three pieces of advice that were offered me, (there are certainly many

more.)

1) My dear father taught me the value of never giving up and having profound faith in

myself as an individual. He started me drawing from the age seven. And he kept after me as

the years went on. Until I finally "got it." He showed me how to keep that urge to

create flowing. It was ingrained in me and although he and my mother are no longer alive,

their spirit is within me every minute of the day.

2) Donald Teague, great artist, handed a word to me that I've kept close. It's a word I've

passed on as much as I can. Donald told me this just before he died when I asked him what

was the most important word in art. He said, "Design." And certainly we can see this from

Rembrandt to Sargent to Picasso to Franz Kline. Design is what generally makes me stop in

front of a painting whilst walking through a museum. Then I look closer and inspect its other

wonders.

3) A major mentor of mine, Robert Lougheed gave me some words near the end of his life.

He told me that I had learned much from him and others in my years of art. He said that it

was my turn to pass my knowledge to others; it was my duty. With that, I immediately

signed on to do workshops and seminars and eventually books and articles for the exceptional

publication International Artist. I can honestly say that what I've passed on to others has made

me the happiest. I feel real joy when something I say or do strikes a note with an artist.

Steve McQueen

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JM: What advice would you pass on to aspiring artists

who work in a medium that is "forgotten" in Europe.

HB: To me and many of my colleagues, working with

soft pastels is the most rewarding and fulfilling way I

can think of spending each day. Pastels will do things

that other mediums don't come near. It feels personal

and it goes on to paper as a direct, unencumbered

expression of every impassioned moment. To get the

feel of it, one must bury oneself into its very essence.

These are sticks of color containing intense pigments

from dull grey to blazing red. Once the artist has a

command of the technique, time and space no longer

exist. Only the artist in front of the easel with a set of

pastels awaiting. And the emotions will range from

joy way up to euphoria.

I feel as one with the artists who have chosen soft

pastels. We live in a secret Shangri la within the art

world. But there are more and more "travelers" who

are finding our existence.

JM: All your writings suggest that you have lead and continue to lead a truly happy, fulfilled

life. Your books and articles give the reader not only tips on becoming better artists but tips

to achieving lasting contentment. I would really love to know where that "grounding" comes

from.

HB: From life's experiences eventually comes a deep strength. That is if those experiences are

each dealt with in effective and ultimately positive ways. In my early years, I was wild

beyond belief; parties every day and just a few hours sleep at night. I took big, dumb chances

and was erratic to an incomprehensible degree. But my glue to survival was art. Art, art, art.

And finally, on one fateful day, I quit drinking and cigarettes and parties. Thus leaving me

with plenty of time to develop my art in a major way. I was 35 years old at the time and was

more than ready. And the next years were a torrent of intense hard work and good fortune

combined. I've always said that good luck comes to most of us but few are ready for it.

Or even recognize it when it's standing there.

By nature, I'm a shy person, which no one believes. I'm also very reclusive. So contentment is

a quiet life with a few friends but mostly family. I'm drawing closer to them as the years go

by and shucking much of my massive, galling ego. I still have an ego but it doesn't over ride

all else.

I was very fortunate to meet Vincent Miller many years ago. He is a brilliant individual who

had the dream of putting out the best art publications and books in the market. That dream

came true. He finds the best artists in the world and has them write for his art magazines. I

read every issue and can't believe the fountain of info that each contains. Where were these

words way back when I was starting out?!

Greta Garbo, in her role as Mata Hari.

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But I'll tell you Vincent's secret, at least with me. He allows every word I write to end up on

his printed page. He alters nothing at all. So what we get in these articles are the undiluted

truth from each of us. He was the same way with my books. He told me, "You write it and I'll

print it."

This is a marvelous way for me to pass on what I've learned both the hard way and through

great mentors I've know over the years.

As with many artists on this site, I'm associated with a few art organizations. I love them

because we are in this together. Periodically, I need to be with other artists so I can praise and

complain and laugh and trade ideas. And maybe even talk about a fun trip down a fast river.

I think part of my "grounding" comes from a contentment that I'm fulfilling my dreams. I

don't want to prove anything but just find the sweet solace of doing what I want whenever I

want. I've earned it; at least I think I have.

JM: Your books are out of

print and change hands for

large sums of money,

(particularly "Confessions!). I

have copies of Eternal Truths

and Inspiration and believe

that every portrait artist

should have them to hand. Is

there any possibility of these

coming back into print?

HB: I can't answer that

because I never question

Vincent Miller's plans, as he

doesn't question my ideas for

articles. I can say that my

"Confessions" book cost the

company a small fortune

because it was done with the

utmost care in every aspect. Something that is unknown by most people is that there was also

a special edition of 100 "Confessions." That came in a velvet box and two of my etchings;

plus extra pages. It is also sold out and is literally impossible to get.

Maybe one day I'll ask Vincent about "Harley Brown's Eternal Truths for Every Artist." That

book seems to have helped a number of artists. It lays out, in a general way, most of what I

learned through the years.

JM: Harley, it has been a delight to talk to you. I believe you have secured your place in art

history – but what would you like your epitaph to be?

HB: He loved and he was loved.

Detail from Greta Garbo

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A step by step demonstration of Harley's portrait of Caitlin will appeared in the August /

September issue of the magazine The International Artist.

© Julie Mardell, all images © Harley Brown

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