In the footsteps of American painter George Bellows, Chris Best finds beauty in grit. From his paintings of old wharfs to corner shops, life appears the way it is: unstaged and natural. 
 
Like his choice subject, Best’s technique is direct and immediate. His compositions are reinforced by long thick brush strokes that charge even negative space with the crafted solidity of form. The effect is a palpable sense of atmosphere, which captures the essential mood of the scene.
 
As an undergraduate, Best began his artistic career Art at the Savannah College of Art and Design, GA and continued under the instruction of Tim Bell, a fellow Maryland artist.  Best credits Bell as encouraging his “plein air” painting method. Best also studied figure drawing and painting with Robert Liberace at the Art League of Alexandria and at painting workshops in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., where he was first inspired by Bellows’ approach to painting American life.