Brechin was born in New London and spent summers of his childhood roaming the beach between Harkness and the Seaside. At the age of sixteen, he left school to live and work in the bohemian atmosphere of Greenwich Village. He hitch-hiked across the US and Mexico riding 1,000 miles through the southwest in railroad boxcars. He crewed on a Brixham trawler in the Virgin Islands. Returning home, he studied painting at Silvermine College of Art with professors trained at Yale in the tradition of Albers and the Black Mountain College. After Art School, to support a growing family, he opened a sign company in South Norwalk during which time he painted many large outdoor and indoor murals and many billboards. In 1998 Brechin fulfilled a lifelong dream sailing alone around the world starting from Block Island. He spent four and a half years on his 27-foot cutter “Otter” and after sailing 32,000 miles and visiting 32 countries, he returned to Block Island becoming the 232nd solo circumnavigator since Joshua Slocum. It earned him the Golden Circle Award from the Joshua Slocum Society. And circumnavigators pennant from the Cruising Club of America.  Brechin set up a studio in Bridgeport where much of his work has been drawn from the sketchbooks kept during the voyage and more recently from summer cruises along the New England coast, stopping to sample lobster rolls with his wife Sandy in every port.

 

He has had numerous one person shows including the Greene Gallery, Guilford / Southport Gallery, Southport / Haviland Street Gallery, SoNo / Axel Gallery, Norwalk / and the Unison Arts Center – New Paltz.  His work is represented by the Russell Jinishian Gallery – Stonington; the Arnould Gallery – Marblehead; and the Thames River Gallery in New London. He has shown in The International Show at the Marine Art Gallery at Mystic Seaport. One of his paintings was selected for the ASMA 17th Marine Art Exhibit which toured five museums.

 

Brechin is a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists.