Bryan Jernigan is a twenty-year Washington, DC resident. Born in Arkansas, Jernigan was raised in Oklahoma. He attended college at Oklahoma State and completed his Master’s of Arts degree at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Upon arrival in the nation’s capital, Jernigan was immediately influenced by the founders of the Washington Color School including Morris Louis and Gene Davis and later followers including Sam Gilliam. Colorfield artists came to prominence in the 1960s and were part of the only painterly movement to come out of Washington, DC. As an answer to Abstract painters of the era who used expressive techniques to communicate their artistic messages, Colorfield artists used unprimed canvas and a very flat surface devoid of much expression. Their goal was to have viewers be moved by the color alone. Many Colorfield artists, including Jernigan, use everything but a brush to apply the paint in their pieces. The pieces in this show represent various Colorfield techniques including staining, sponging, taping and spraying to impart their emotionally powerful messages.

Jernigan is a member of the Arlington Artists Alliance and serves as a member of the board of directors. He is also a teacher with the Arlington Artists Academy and will teach a Colorfield class in January 2009.

For more information about Jernigan, please call 703.533.0957 or visit his website at www.myspace.com/bryanjernigan.