PHIL BRANNAN

       Phil Brannan is a local Southeast Texas woodcarver, specializing in realistic fish sculptures. He began his artistic career as a child, illustrating, painting and sketching as a hobby and began woodcarving in his mid-30s, teaching himself how to carve and paint. A lifelong fisherman, his love of fishing inspires his highly
detailed woodcarvings depicting saltwater, freshwater and tropical fish along with their own specific habitat and surroundings. Brannan quickly rose to the top of the realistic woodcarving field in local, regional and Texas State competitions, winning numerous awards.

He has competed in World-Level Fish Carving Competitions, and holds three World Titles in Decorative Miniatures and Natural Finish Divisions. His work is praised for his attention to detail, particularly his development and use of a “dry brush” technique that allows him to apply layers of transparent acrylic washes. He is also highly capable of creating artworks in a variety of sizes without compromising quality, resulting in intimate miniatures to life-size replicas. In addition to his achievements,

Brannan has also judged World Fish Carving competitions and worked with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society (BASS) to create reproductions of his carvings for sales campaigns. His sculptures are currently being exhibited at The Art Museum of Southeast Texas, in Beaumont.