George Brandriff was born on February 13, 1890 in Millville, New Jersey. After moving to Orange, California in 1913, Brandriff worked as a piano salesman. Shortly after his arrival he enrolled at the USC College of Dentistry and in 1918 opened a dental office in Hemet. Without the benefit of formal training, he had been painting all his life. He later had a few art lessons from Anna Hills, Carl Oscar Borg, Jack Wilkinson Smith, and in 1928 abandoned dentistry to devote full-time to art. In 1930 Brandriff was granted Jonathan Club's Artist Life Membership.

After building a studio-home in Laguna Beach, Brandriff taught painting (Orrin White was one of his pupils) and served as president of the local art association. His subject matter included beach scenes, marines, mountain landscapes, still lifes, and figures. Many of his paintings were of the sea and fishermen around the Newport Beach area. Stricken with cancer, his short career ended with his suicide on August 14, 1936 in Laguna Beach.

Source: Artists in California: 1786-1940, Edan Hughes