Artist Statement

Brandy’s Artist Statement

My work is reliant on telling a story by combining two or more artistic genres, such as writing and drawing. I choose to make this type of art because it reflects me. As I enjoy writing stories, but also drawing pictures that tell a story. Working in this way allows me to reflect on my own life and the many ways life has this inconspicuous way of becoming a full circle. I can tell a story that closely relates to a personal situation without telling someone directly, in hopes that the viewer can relate, too.

I am always trying to step out of myself, to be something different than everyone else. I find inspiration in every aspect and every little detail that surrounds my life. I look to the many different artists before me, I gather ideas and techniques. I feel they all have something to offer towards my own creative process. I then express those ideas and techniques in my own language. I use several different components of art separately, though each entity alone could speak for its self. However, when you combine all the mediums into a whole it creates a symbiotic relationship.  For example, The Owl and The Raven; this piece’s inner demon was about a bad relationship, and a woman who sought freedom and found peace.

 My process starts with an idea, a feeling, or something personal. I then will briefly take my ideas and jot them down. Over the last two years, I have found that writing stories in the form of an erasure is very beneficial to my creative process. I spend hours researching information in order to give myself a little more creative inspiration.  I sketch ideas. I ask myself questions pertaining to what marks, mediums and material I will use. After I have all my thoughts right in front of me, an idea reveals itself to me; practically screaming at me.

On occasion I will use the ideas from a comic book layout to portray my stories. I like to work with more than one medium to make marks, such as ink and watercolor. My work varies in size, from intimate scale to large scale, and in between.  I feel that is it important that the actual mark making can stand alone and tell the same story. The viewer may not get my exact message, but I hope that they can take something from my work and apply it to some aspect in their lives.

 Art is the reflection in which life weaves its way in and out of a single strand. This strand is continuous, beautiful, and connected. It is my mission in life as a woman, mother, and artist to inspire the world through art.