Acclaimed animal portrait artist Brandis Sarich of Maui, Hawaii possesses the unique ability to recognize an animal’s individual spirit and to capture it beautifully in a painting.
Brandis Sarich was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and raised in San Francisco, California. During the 1980’s she developed her art under the guidance of teachers Morgan O’Hara and Stan Grosse. She attended U.C. Santa Cruz majoring in Fine Art and Physics before transferring to U.C. Berkeley, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Architecture.
In 1991, Brandis left San Francisco and set out with her husband, Kevin, for Sun Valley, Idaho. It was there, that for two years, she ran the Sun Valley Horsemen Center, thereby fulfilling her need to have animals as a core part of her life. It was also during those years when the animals in her care became the principal subjects of her paintings. Subsequently, Brandis enjoyed a successful career in architecture (she is a licensed architect in both Idaho and Hawaii), but felt that architecture wasn’t fulfilling her strongest artistic desires. In 2005, Brandis and Kevin changed their lives in order to pursue Brandis’ career in art. Dividing their time between painting studios on the beautiful island of Maui and in the mountains near Sun Valley, Idaho, Brandis continues to explore the human-animal bond through her art.
In addition to creating original artwork of animals, Brandis accepts individual commissions from pet owners. Brandis Sarich’s art is collected by celebrities, politicians and many others who simply love animals. With hundreds of commissions completed to date, Brandis’ work is very sought after, and she stays busy painting people’s animals from all around the world. Brandis shows in Lahaina at Images Fine Art Gallery and the Banyan Tree Gallery, takes part in juried art fairs under Lahaina’s famous Banyan Tree. She also participates in selected art shows throughout the West, exhibits at the Green Antelope Gallery near Sun Valley, Idaho, and has an installation at Sun Valley Dog in Ketchum, Idaho.