The son of abstract-expressionist painter Robin Branham and grandson of highly renowned American illustrator Robert Branham, Colin Branham is a third-generation professional artist. Based in Malibu, California, he produces edgy, abstract original acrylic paintings with plentiful texture and depth. Colin has been surrounded by art his entire life. He was just two years old when he began accompanying his mother, Robin, to art shows in Southern California and throughout the Southwest. His mother and grandfather spent many years working in the studio together developing their artistic techniques and styles. All those experiences imprinted on Colin: “I was fortunate enough to grow up in and out of the studio watching the two of them work. I grew up in close proximity to my grandfather’s home, which was next door, and spent a large amount of time around him. Some of my earliest memories are of spending time in his studio, watching him work, and rifling through his discarded pieces.” While he received his Bachelor of Art in Liberal Arts and a minor in Gallery Exhibition from the University of California Irvine in 2015, a career as a professional artist wasn’t necessarily on Colin’s radar at first. During his studies at UC Irvine, he worked as a production assistant on a film set, and he had his sights set on either going into the TV and film industry or becoming a police officer or firefighter. But life intervened and Colin decided to lean in. “When I was home from college and between working as a production assistant on film sets, I worked in my mom’s studio. I was either helping her with her work or doing my own. And it just slowly evolved to where I was doing more of that instead of the production assistant work. I made the transition to full-time painting soon after university.” Though he cites his grandfather as a large influence on his art and credits the extensive knowledge he learned as his mother’s studio assistant, Colin’s work is very much an expression of his own voice. He conveys this through texture and striking the right balance between positive and negative space. The result is artwork that is rich with kinetic energy yet still calming. “My work is largely about creating a painting that has a design and surface that I find interesting and appealing. Having a lot of texture has always been important to the style of work that I do. Creating a balance between negative and positive as well as colors that work together.” One look at Colin Branham’s work and it’s easy to feel the undulating sense of freedom and exploration that courses through his paintings. When not painting, he enjoys traveling abroad, seeing the foreign countryside and how people live their lives, and seeing the local artwork in museums. Over the years, he has found success with his work exhibited at prestigious art shows, fairs, and festivals throughout Sothern California and the Southwest. Colin’s current collection is now exhibited at the amazing Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art.