Illustration

Birds, Nature, Landcscapes, Photography, and More!

brianleefritz

Happy New Year! As my first post of 2026, I'd like

Happy New Year!
As my first post of 2026, I'd like to take this time to reintroduce myself and reaffirm a few promises about what you're getting when you interact with me as an artist.

My name is Brian Fritz and I'm an artist out of Southeast Michigan. I make vibrant, colorful art that celebrates the beautiful nature and wildlife and landscapes of our state. I make big work, I make small work, I'm a painter, I'm a printmaker. But most of all, I make emotional work that makes you feel things.

We live in very isolating times and it's very easy to fall into rabbit holes and mental spirals and to forget that other people care. I care. Very, very much so. And I aim to show that in both my work and the way that I run my business. Art can bring us together. Let me show you how!

I am against apathy. We have too much and I'm tired of it. I give a flock and if you're here, so do you. This is a huge reason why I started my Affirmations series. And yes, I make a LOT of bird puns.

My work is for people who find peace in nature. I celebrate the connections we have to the natural world and the stories we tell with wildlife and the way they act as symbols for us as people. Have you ever seen a little bird on a tree outside your window and wondered what it's thinking? What it's feeling? Then you're in the right place.

I make work that is vulnerable and you need to be a little vulnerable to get it. You can't enter this space with your armor on. You just won't get the full experience. My art comes with a certain air of honesty and candidness that just cannot be met with cynicism. Think of it as a salve for your emotional callousness.

And finally but most importantly, I believe strongly in honesty and clarity in everything I do. For me, that means that every caption, every comment, every message, every email, and every single brushstroke comes from my hands and my hands alone. Specifically, I'm taking about AI. A robot will NEVER write words for me or have any hand in my creative process. Ever. Creativity was meant for humans and outsourcing that to the machine is the same as selling your soul. Everything comes though me and it's always me talking to you. (Cont'd...)

One last painting before 2026. This is number 82 o

One last painting before 2026. This is number 82 of 83 I did this year.

I know a lot of people are posting retrospectives and sharing their favorite stuff from the year, but I really don't want to go that far back on my camera roll and assemble that whole thing, so I'm choosing to look ahead.

Or a bit behind in this one, I guess. It's a small 8x10 acrylic on panel based on a picture I took in 2023 on a trip to Zion National Park with Grace. This was day three of the trip and we decided to hike the north side of the park, The Kolob Canyons.

It was a beautiful day of hiking the trails and there was hardly anyone else out there because that side of the park is so remote. Like I always say, if you're willing to endure just a little more, you can have these whole beautiful spaces to yourself.

We'll talk more about 2026 later, but if you'd like to know my plans, you should join the flock. That's my email newsletter where I send you pretty birds every Thursday. The link is in my bio, or just comment and ask 😁

This was my favorite painting I made this year.

This was my favorite painting I made this year.

There were a lot of contenders for the crown: the lion, the wolves, Reynard the Fox... I made a lot of cool things this year if I do say so myself!

But this one is special for two reasons: first, it's one of my biggest paintings and I had a TON of fun making it. But second and just as important is the home where it lives now. The wonderful and super talented photographer @jocelynandersonphotography picked this one up at the Kensington Art Fair in May. I admire her work so much and it means the world to me that someone who loves that park like I do decided that she had to have this in her home.

Oh. Right. The title! Symphony II. 36x36 acrylic on canvas.

(Do you like this one? I have a sandhill crane for you in sunset colors.)

Really missing that painting weather right about n

Really missing that painting weather right about now.

It's currently 32 degrees and raining outside. My car windshield is covered with a quarter inch of ice. The ground has literally no traction anymore. I doubt I'll be going outside to do anything today, let alone painting.

And I have plenty of things to paint from photos taken during the nice months of the year, but it's almost like finding the inspiration is more fun than actually using it.

Actually, can we go on a little side rant here? I think that's kind of what's behind generative AI: coming up with the ideas is a hundred thousand times easier than executing those ideas. So it only makes sense from that perspective to cut out the middle part that's not as fun and skip right to the end product.

The problem is that the time spent on execution is what gives the end product meaning.

Not to say that a painting that took a hundred hours is inherently more valuable than one that took ten hours. It's more about the fact that somebody put some skin in the game and spent their own time and resources to make something to share with the world. There is little to no value in the image itself! All the value of art is in the experience, in the story, in the human-to-human relationships made.

It's more than paint on canvas, but even just paint on canvas is still more than artificial pixels on a screen. If you couldn't be bothered to make it, why should anybody bother to see it?

Anyway, most of these plein air paintings are available, just let me know if one of them speaks to you.

And happy belated Christmas! Hope you had a great day ❄

Swipe to see the process! Sunlight Through the Ta

Swipe to see the process!

Sunlight Through the Tall Pines
8x10 acrylic on canvas

I took this picture the last time Grace and I visited the arboretum. About a week later, we were back in Ann Arbor, but across the street at the women's hospital giving birth to our little Hazel.

What I particularly like about this scene is the light streaming through the pines. Thus the name. I wanted to challenge myself to capture the way it changes the colors and tones as it forces it's way though the needles. I was drawn to the extreme contrasts that my phone camera just couldn't handle.

What do you think of this one? Can you see it on your wall? Do you know where this is at the @matthaeinichols arboretum? Let me know in the comments!

Have you ever seen hundreds of Sandhill Cranes com

Have you ever seen hundreds of Sandhill Cranes coming in for a landing with a gorgeous sunset in the background?

I visited the Haehnle Sanctuary in Jackson a few weeks back. Which is nothing out of the ordinary, I stop by there any time I’m in Jackson. But this time the parking lot was packed. I’ve never seen more than one or two other cars there. So I grabbed my binoculars (which are of course always in my car) and went to investigate.

As it turns out, I had stumbled upon one of the most beautiful sights in birding: the migration of the sandhill cranes at sunset. Watching these living dinosaurs descend into the wetland with the intense pink and violet of the sunset behind them was a sight to behold. I’ll get around to painting it someday.

So this is one of many, many pieces celebrating the sandhill crane. I call it “Sandhill in the Swamp.” I made it for an upcoming class with @sandhillwine and used it as an experiment in a little simpler and cleaner style of linocut. But I liked it so much that I couldn’t resist doing a quick edition of 11 for you all to enjoy.

I'll toss a link in my stories, or you can comment or message me for said link.

Sandhill in the Swamp
4x6" print on 8x10" paper, hand-colored with alcohol marker and colored pencil.

Just dotting my eyes over here... 😂 A little p

Just dotting my eyes over here... 😂

A little peek into the process of making my latest print, Sandhill in the Swamp. I made the block for a class, but I couldn't resist printing up a small batch to share with you.

I colored the crest and the eye in with alcohol marker and put the bird's pupil in with a micron pen. Why? Because I knew I could do it better that way and I can't expect my students to be able to make such a small and controlled cut. The most important thing about this block is that it can be carved easily by someone with little to not experience. That's a huge lesson that I've learned while teaching.

Maybe I'll release the cranes...tomorrow? 🤷
You should join my email list, The Flock, to find out!

Inking a new block is always so exciting! The thr

Inking a new block is always so exciting!

The thrill of discovering whether or not your vision is going to come to life. The pivotal moment where you see if this image you had in your head makes any sense.

Sandhill Crane prints will be on my website soon. Comment with any bird emoji and I will personally send you a link.

I made this one for an upcoming class at @sandhillwine, so if you want to make this design yourself, let me know and ill get you a class link.

What do you think of the block? Do you want to see more videos of the printmaking process, or just the final product?

When I say these prints are slow-made, I mean it!

When I say these prints are slow-made, I mean it! Come along for a little "live" video from the studio and watch a 1x speed printing session lol

I made plovers, penguins and snowy owls.

Belle Isle Observatory 11x14" acrylic on canvas

Belle Isle Observatory
11x14" acrylic on canvas

I had the immense privilege of sending this one out to its new home yesterday. It was a nice excuse to visit Belle Isle late this Summer and a perfect way to memorialize an important day.

This particular piece is really special because the client commissioned it for his fiancee. This is where he proposed to her! He also commissioned another painting, of the place where they're getting married! How absolutely adorable!!

And all that got me thinking about the way that places speak to us. We sort of store memories in physical locations and this imagery is almost a form of time travel, bringing the viewer back to that important day when two people decided to share their lives together forever. That's beautiful and I'm so glad I could be part of that experience.

Do you have a place that's meaningful and special to you? Have you considered a painting of it? The space around you is a reflection of yourself; why not fill your walls with memories and aspirations and good feelings?

If that sounds like you, comment or message me and let's get you on my calendar for January.

Some geese are just silly. Others know how to loc

Some geese are just silly.
Others know how to lock in.

Some geese just goof off.
Others can get things done.

The Serious Goose has been rolling around in my mind for a few months now and I just took the time the other day to carve up the block. What do you think? Is a Canada goose serious enough?

Last call for art prints! The deadline to order a

Last call for art prints!

The deadline to order art prints from my online shop and get them in time for xmas is, uh, tomorrow.

That means all my prints based on paintings. Like this fine gentleman here and all his friends in the Neighbors series.

I painted this series as a way to explore the creatures that live among and around us. Our neighbors.

Anyway, hit up my shop online if you want an art print in time for gifting.

I had the privilege last night of delivering my la

I had the privilege last night of delivering my latest commission to its new home.

My friend Judy asked for this painting of the back yard of her mother's house sometime this summer. She has just lost her mom and she and her siblings were figuring out what they wanted to do with the house and everything. Judy was sitting in the kitchen and wondering what she would miss the most about this place where she grew up. It was the very view she was looking at right then.

She told me stories about how the neighbors all got together and made a nine-hole golf course linking all their properties and about sledding down those hills when they were dotted with ash trees. She told me stories about how the land had changed over time and how she had watched it through the eyes of her children as well as her own. Places have deep meaning and connection. She had lived a significant portion of her life in this space and wanted to take a little bit of it with her.

I feel the same about my parents' house where I grew up. I'm happy to help keep those great memories alive for her.

I am currently booking commissions for early January. Do you have a story that needs to be memorialized in paint? A special place that you'd like to live on your wall? Let me know!

This morning I'm snuggling our baby. Do I have th

This morning I'm snuggling our baby.

Do I have things to do? Sure.
Is it cold outside? Of course.
Has it been a long journey? You bet.
But this morning I'm snuggling our baby.

Did I see this years ago? Nope.
Has it been easy? Absolutely not.
Has it been worth it? Yes.
Because this morning I'm snuggling our baby.

Welcome Hazel Grace Fritz.
We love you so much.

Thanks @nobledogshoppe for having me out yesterday

Thanks @nobledogshoppe for having me out yesterday to paint your windows! It was a fun job and I got to pet a bunch of dogs. What more could I ask for? 😂

Are you thinking about window painting for your business? You should be! It's a great way to bring a little sparkle to your storefront and makes the customer experience just that much better. It was fun to hear all the compliments from people as they dropped off their dogs and checked my progress when they picked them back up.

Better Together I cut this block two years ago. I

Better Together

I cut this block two years ago. I started putting the letters on the prints around June or July 2024. There are, by my (admittedly flawed) records, 77 of these prints out in the world. And that's pretty cool. The thought that so many people saw this print and loved it enough and found enough meaning in it, to take it home and put it on their walls, that's what keeps me going and making this work. Thank you.

I made this print for my wife. Obviously. But I'm so happy that it's resonated with so many other couples. The feeling is universal.

Do you have a Better Together print hanging up? Send me a pic!

Small Business Saturday! Here's just a sampling o

Small Business Saturday!

Here's just a sampling of the great stuff you can snag from my website today and this week!

I felt a little weird not taking on a SBS show this year, but the timing didn't work out this year (more on that later) and it's looking we'll get about five inches of snow this afternoon. Which makes me extremely uncomfortable on the road.

But that doesn't mean you can't grab a little something for yourself or a friend. And it certainly doesn't mean you can't shop local for your gift-giving needs this year. (Or, again, just for yourself!) My website is open 24/7!

I have a handful of deals going on, including a whole selection of plein air and landscape paintings, discounts on art prints, and you can get a free one-color 8x10 print when you buy two of them.

And holiday card packs. They're live. Go get 'em!

Happy Small Business Saturday, remember to shop small and shop local. Giant multinational conglomerates don't need your business, artists do!

(I have a whole bunch of personal news to share as well, but that all comes later so it can be its own thing)

The first two of four 2025 holiday cards! I'll h

The first two of four 2025 holiday cards!

I'll have two more for you Wednesday and they'll be on my site officially by Friday.

DM me if you'd like to reserve a pack!

You know you want to. It's one of the best parts o

You know you want to. It's one of the best parts of a hike.

...No, YOU'RE weird. 😝

I had a great (and chilly) time with the @brushmon

I had a great (and chilly) time with the @brushmonkeys yesterday in downtown Dexter!

@joeandrosiecoffeeandtea got the snowy owl and @beergrottodexter got the Canadian lynx. As I finished up the lynx, I recognized how similar these two creature are: they're both ambush predators who live in colder climates and use camouflage to great effect.

Thank you to @danijelmatanic for the background on the lynx and for your guidance. And for tolerating me and my comparatively slow painting 😂

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