Bob Berran's work has been recognized throughout the United States and Europe and is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Illustration of the Society of Illustrators, Illustration House and many other galleries.
Robert Lee Berran was born in Mt. Vernon, New York on December 24, 1923 and was raised in Scarsdale, New York. Between the ages of 19 and 22 Bob Berran served as a combat medic in the United States Army during World War II from 1943 to 1946 with General Patton's Third Army in Europe. Before going into the service Bob studied with famous anatomy teacher George Bridgeman for one year. After World War II he studied at the Art Student's League in New York City from 1947 to 1950 under the G. I. Bill with well known artists Arnold Bank, Howard Trafton and for three years with Frank Reilly. After leaving the Art Students League Bob followed his friend Jimmy Bama to 20th Century Fox in New York City where he painted movie posters on a freelance basis for about 4 years. Bob then joined The Illustrators Group where the artists were mostly from the Haddon Sundblom school of painting. He had the opportunity to learn from his mentor Jack Wittrup as well as from Nick Hufford, Bob Skemp, Al Kortner and Vic Livoti. The work done at The Illustrators Group was for prestigious clients such as Ford and Coca- Cola. Bob also worked for other art studios like Ross Art, Chate and Shaw-Barton Calendar House.
In 1969 Bob's friend Roger Kastel introduced him to Barbara Bertoli the Art Director at Avon Books and Bob began to paint paperback book covers mostly Regency romance, Ballantine, Harlequin, Fawcett, Ace among others. Bob met Joe Mendola one day and during their conversation mentioned that he owned a Saturday Evening Post cover by J.C. Leyendecker. To make a long story short, Bob had purchased it for $50. He sold it to Joe for $900 and Bob found out about 7 years ago that it was up for sale for $150,000! Oh only if Bob had held onto it. He joined artists representative Mendola LTD in 1973 and was there for 17 years. Bob mostly painted advertising art and paperback bookcovers. After Mendola's Bob relocated to Hankins -Tegenborg another artists representative. He was with them for 11 years. Both were very good reps to work for.
Then computers came along and unfortunately took alot of artwork away from talented artists. Luckily in 1995 Bill Luberoff introduced Bob to Ira Kramer the creative Director of Quadriga Art. Bob has been working for them ever since painting his religious artwork which has always been his first love as an artist. He also enjoys painting portraits of adults, children and animals.
Bob met Suzanne Marie Culbertson at the Art Students League and they were married in 1952. They have three children Kathryn, Kristine and Scott and three grandchildren Kathryn, Eddie and Irene. Bob and Suzanne lived on Long Island in beautiful Stony Brook, New York for 43 years and then moved to beautiful Vero Beach, Florida in 2004 just in time for Hurricane Francis and Hurricane Jeanne. They live near the Atlantic Ocean enjoying warm and sunny days where Bob paints his religious work and portraits and walks on the beach enjoying life.
