Bear artist uses talent to bring happiness to others

For Brian ’16, painting is more than a passion; it is a way to connect with and bring joy to others. This summer, Brian showed how he is living the Landon mission as an accomplished, responsible and caring young man by offering his talents to help comfort patients at Children’s National Medical Center, painting portraits of their pets so their hospital rooms would feel more like home.

“I painted a portrait for a Kenyan orphan last year, and that was an awesome experience,” Brian said, referring to a project, spearheaded by Ashton Duplessie ’15, that saw 15 Bears create artwork for HIV+ Kenyan orphans. “It made me think of painting in a different way. It doesn’t have to be just for fun or to paint my friends’ dogs. I can paint for other people too. These kids can’t have their pet in the hospital, but they can have this painting, so it’s a way of using painting to spread happiness.”

Brian said he lit upon the idea through conversations with friend Matt Wellington ’15 and advisor and Studio Arts Department Chair Walt Bartman, whom he credits with sparking his interest in painting.

“Mr. Bartman has helped me so much,” Brian said. “I’ll send pictures of my paintings constantly, and he’ll critique me and give me suggestions of what to do.”

“I’m so proud of Brian for stepping up and using his artistic talent to make someone’s life better,” Bartman said. “I try to coach these boys in doing a lot of good things, so it’s great when they’re able to use their talents to make somebody happy who really is having a tough time in their life. It’s just so rewarding.”

Brian agrees. He has already recruited Andrew ’18 to the program, wants to bring even more Bears into the fold during the school year, and hopes the program continues long after he has left the White Rocks so that others can experience what he has.

“The best part about this has been the people I have met through it,” said Brian, who plans to start a similar program at a hospital close to the college he attends. “When I went to the hospital to drop off the first painting, I was expecting a 5-year-old girl, but it ended up being a freshman at UVA... I ended up staying for an hour talking to the patient and her mother and brother. I wasn’t expecting that, but it was amazing.”