Meet David Braly and Mark Montoya

I have admired the work of David Keith Braly for years. David is yet another amazing artist who hails from Florence, Alabama.  Florence, what do you add to your water???

David received his undergraduate from Auburn in 1979 and taught in the school of architecture. Five years later he began painting. It is the architectural element in his paintings that makes me love them so.

Best known for the massive murals that he creates for both homes and public spaces throughout the country, David’s work is instantly recognizable.

In 1989 an Atlanta interior designer commissioned him to paint his first mural for a corporate office the designer was working on. It was basically a large architectural drawing. That was 25 years ago and he hasn’t stopped yet. He had the opportunity to teach for a while in London. (Sad life, huh?) Then McAlpine Tankersley called for him to do a mural in Nashville. He took a year off to work on that assignment….which lead to another year off and another assignment….which led to “Hey! Let’s just keep on going.”

To dig deeper into his early works click on the link below.

http://www.davidbraly.com/portfolio_mural.cfm

He is now working on another commission for John Saladino. Not too shabby.

 

The Saladino project is a mail center in New York. I was thrilled to hang out in David’s studio last week as he and his team worked on the line drawings for what will become a border mural depicting the history of mail delivery in this country. I love the pony express rider tearing through the forest. Perhaps he is on the Old Federal Road here in Pike Road, Alabama carrying love letters to the frozen north. Or maybe I have just lived with a writer for too long?

The other half of this dynamic duo is Mark Montoya.  Mark’s father was a grower for Caffco here in Montgomery so Mark’s love for landscape architecture and garden design was a natural progression. However! He is quite the artist in his own right. He was the head of product development for Caffco from 1980-1995 working in ceramics and other mediums.

He now not only works with David on the large commissions but paints and creates wonderful living landscapes inspired by his travels to Italy and beyond.

There was no way to share everything that I wanted to share with you in one post so you will have to come back for

Part II to experience the landmark fire station that has been converted into a jaw dropping home.

and

Part III that will include a tour of the Italian walled gardens behind the fire house.

Lots more to come as you can tell and you don’t want to miss it.

Hope you enjoy!