Bruce Sanford Day was raised on a Southern California orange ranch established in 1908 by his grandfather, an early 20th century listed artist. There he received his initial art training and today continues to be the inspiration for his landscape paintings. He entered Monterey Peninsula College in 1968 to major in art, then transferred to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California where he studied under Professors Lauser Feitleson and Harry Carmean. He later attended California State University, Fullerton to continue his discipline in painting and drawing.

In 2007 the Casa Romantica Cultural Center presented the Lumiˇre Award to Bruce Sanford Day as the artist whose work best reflects the beauty of the natural world and the Southern California light. He was also honored by the Irvine Museum in conjunction with the Capistrano Valley Conservancy and Irvine Ranch Land Reserve Trust for preserving the cultural, historical and natural resources of California.

Museum exhibitions include the Pasadena Museum of History, Anaheim Museum, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Long Beach Museum, San Bernardino County Museum and the Bowers Museum where is work is in the permanent collection of contemporary plein paintings as a gift of the City of Santa Ana. Bruce Sanford Day is an Artist Member of the California Art Club.