From law to landscapes, Belvedere artist finds first solo stage in Big Apple

Belvedere resident Brian Higgins poses with one of his paintings on his deck Sept. 2, with the bay view that inspires much of his artwork. (Tyler Callister / The Ark)

In his late 30s, commercial real-estate analyst Brian Higgins received an unexpected Christmas gift from his wife: A painting class.

Higgins had long worked with what he calls his “analytical” mind, first earning a law degree from the University of California College of the Law at San Francisco, then called UC Hastings, in the 1990s, then building a career in commercial real estate. The introduction to painting class, he says, awakened something he’d lost long ago.

Fifteen years later, the Belvedere resident has landed his first solo art exhibition. “Ascend: The Evolution of Identity” will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 11 at the Alessandro Berni Gallery in New York City. Beyond a collection of his impressionism-meets-abstraction paintings, the exhibition will also feature a live painting performance, during which Higgins will create a full piece before an audience.

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