The son of a symphony conductor and concert pianist, Paul Brourman opted for the visual arts at a young age. He began painting at age 9 in a summer plein air painting course in Maine, and later enrolled in a college level painting course at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh at age 15.

Soon after his move to Chicago to take up a career in advertising, Brourman was moved by the 1988 Monet exhibit at the Art Institute, sparking his interest to pursue oil painting studies at School of the Art Institute’s adult classes for seven consecutive years. Brourman also pursued studies at the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, Vitruvian School and The Florence Academy of Art.

Brourman’s installation, Chicago Looks Good On You was unveiled in June, 2022 and included five portraits featuring people ‘wearing’ the city’s landmark icons as hats as symbols of civic pride. Brourman’s portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020 earned Finalist recognition in the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition. Employing bold brush strokes and palette knife techniques, he brings vibrant works to life - whether portraits, figurative
works or landscapes. A 20-year resident of Bucktown until 2015, Brourman now lives in Evanston, IL with his wife and his two children, and works from his studios in Evanston and Montana.