Brian Nelson grew up in the quaint coastal town of Mendocino, California. His love for art began early in his life. After high school he continued to refine his craft when he attened classes taught by Dorr Bothwell at the Mendocino Art Center in 1968. Brian then enrolled in the College of Marin to study art for two years.

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Brian continued to create art until about 1981 as a hobby, working exclusively in pen and ink with watercolors and acrylic landscapes. He moved to Petaluma in 1989 and started a family with his wife Catherine, raising three boys. In 2022 Brian rekindled his passion for art and returned to painting with the encouragement of his family and friends. Since then, Brian Nelson has been capturing the natural beauty of Northern California, spanning from Mendocino, to Sonoma and Marin Counties.