Featured Artist: Brooke
1) What is it that draws you to making artwork? What do you like about it?
I love that you can bring your feelings into artwork, and whatever you’re feeling shows up in your artwork. Also, you can mess up multiple times and it can still turn out to be something mysterious, pretty, surprising, amazing and cool. Art is super calming and a great source of therapy!
2) Are there any repeating themes in your artwork? What do you like to paint/draw about?
I love purple, it’s my favorite color. I feel like purple is mysterious and imaginative, it’s a rare, unique, soothing color. Purple comes in many shades , your mood determines which shade you will use that day. I use a lot of repetitive lines, I think it adds character to your artwork. There’s no messing up with lines, there so versatile and pleasing to the human eye. If you mess up you can always add another line. Lines form interesting patterns and come in any shape and size. Repeating lines catches eyes!
3) What makes you laugh? Or a recent funny experience you had ?
A lot of things make me laugh, people’s accents, when people hit curbs, people signing at restaurants, mispronunciation of words. I did the ALS ice bucket challenge on my cat, I was at the beach and a woman had this pit bull and it took off after a seagull…pulling the woman into a flying fall. Humans do things unknowingly, and it’s funny
4) Do you have any quirky artist rituals?
No.
5) When are you the most creative?
When I’m not thinking about what I’m going to draw, when it comes together on it’s own. When I’m not over thinking. When I’m calm my artwork turns out unique and it’s some of my favorite artwork I create.
6) How is making artwork different in the hospital?
When I first came here I hadn’t done art in a long time so in some ways the hospital inspired me to do art. Probably because there wasn’t much to do. It was rewarding in a way, making art, because you would finish something—it’s not like you can accomplish a lot in the hospital, but when you finish an art piece it feels good. And conversations with Shalene were funny and something new. Every session is just a new conversation. Humorous, relatable, helpful, and just interesting.
