B I O G R A P H Y Born in California, Dean Bradshaw won a scholarship to study at the Art Center in Los Angeles but chose the medical school route at UCLA instead. After working his way through school, Dean decided to move to Utah where he began making artistic handmade furniture and painting portraitures for prominent families. After developing his furniture business, Dean decided to return to full-time painting.The Utah-based artist works in oil using both brushes and palette knife to render compelling landscapes. "It makes the work very textural and it keeps me from focusing too much on detail," says Bradshaw. "For me, it becomes a much more spontaneous way of painting."In his painting, Bradshaw seeks to achieve abstract quality using recognizable shapes. He works en plein air, relying on his good memory and photographs for minimal reference. "Painting directly from nature means the world to me. It opens up new dimensions in the way I see light and color and deepens my appreciation for nature and life as a whole," explains Bradshaw.Known for his strong textures and saturated colors, Bradshaw makes unexpected hues, often heightening them, yet remains true to nature. He begins each piece with a pencil sketch to ensure the design is pleasing. From there he applies thick layers of paint while referring to his photos in editing the composition. "When I come across a scene it's because of its strong design element and dramatic lighting. I like to do deep aspen interiors, because the range of subtle colors makes an overall unified harmonious painting," notes Bradshaw. "It takes a lot of driving and hiking to find that one great scene."