Brian Shields (Braaq)
British 1951-1997
Born in Liverpool in 1951 he was the son of the artist Dennis Shields. His nickname, Braaq, was given to him at school because of his artistic talent and is a misspelling of the name of the French artist Braque.
After finishing school started work as a chef at a hotel in Harrogate having been discouraged from studying art by his father. It was during this time that he painted a mural close by which he signed with his nickname Braaq.
The mural became very popular but nobody knew who the artist was until he was discovered by a local journalist.
Braaq opened his first exhibition in 1974 and a few years later was showing in London’s West End. He died in 1997 at the young age of 46.
Braaq is best known for his humorous depictions of his childhood memories of Liverpool. This painting is one of his few Landscapes and Still Lives.
The painting was painted as a love letter for a dear friend .Vanessa and the letter lies on the table beneath a window looking out at a snowy Yorkshire landscape.