Art Chowder September | October Issue No. 29 | Page 14

M.J.: Do you work solely in ink now?
Brandy: Anyone who has seen my work
knows that ink dominates most of my
pieces but you’ll find a lot of watercolor
and acrylic as well. I’ve also started
working a bit in the digital realm but
there is something about getting messy
that fills my creative needs.
I separate my work into two different
parts: gallery and fine art shows, and
comic cons. I use the same medium for
both so everything has the same aesthetic
but my subject matter changes from
the abstract to pop culture.
M.J.: How do you find inspiration for
your paintings?
Brandy: Have you ever picked up jade
and didn’t just see a green stone? I find
a lot of inspiration in the frozen movements
found in the stones — tiny galaxies
in opals, the snapshot of a thriving
ecosystem in the inclusions of quartz.
In turn, you’ll find most of my abstract
pieces are named after gemstones and
minerals.
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It’s not just the earth though, I find myself
inspired to create whenever I feel
a strong link to nature like listening to
the rainfall or soaking in the sight of the
moon when it’s at its fullest.
M.J.: Nice. Is there an artist (or three)
you enjoy or find inspiring?
Brandy: I find I enjoy looking at work
from artists that are different than mine,
works in mediums or subjects I don’t
get to play around with often. Honestly,
I’m not sure I could limit it to just three,
much less one.
I feel I’m supposed to name some of the
“greats’“ here but I’m going to pick
three local artists who I have work from
— Emmy K. Photography has images
that are more than just a picture of a
flower from a back yard. The manipulation
and editing that goes into her
photography makes it so much more.
I respect the work that goes into each
one — the oils from Jeff Weir Studio
and Gallery, all of them, not just his fox
pieces. I never work in oils anymore so
I enjoy watching others create with it.
He has a rough, uncut look to his work
that I’m drawn too — and Bre Gotham
creates original characters and re-imagines
everyone’s favorite movie and comic
characters. Her digital works are so
amazing, simplistic yet detailed.
M.J.: Nice! Do you have a favorite subject/genre
to paint?
Brandy: I enjoy my more realistic watercolor
animals but with my inks, hands
down it’s abstract. That’s what people
know me for. Even when there is a specific
subject, like the pieces I do for comic
conventions, there is still a movement
to inks that I can’t always control. It is
the giving up of control that I like.
Life is stressful and making a career out
of something you love can remove all
the joy from it if you’re not careful. Inks
have taught me to relax again. They do
what they want; my tools are just used
as guides. It took me some time to figure
that out but I’m so glad I did. I absolutely
love what I do and I’m very thankful
for it.