We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bryant Portwood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bryant below.

Bryant, appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

Insecurity is a huge issue in the arts. Whether you are just getting started or already at a professional status, artists will always compare their work to others. I think that insecurity as an artists is inevitable. We create original works, pouring hours of heart and effort into every project. It is a very vulnerable thing to do, and of course, we want that work to be noticed and admired. I still constantly compare myself to other artists I have looked up to and focus on what could still be improved in my own work. It wasn’t until very recently that I experienced a shift where now I can still focus on how I can constantly improve my craft, but at the same time have a lot of confidence and pride in the work I produce and share with the world. I acknowledge that my work is paying off and I am good at painting, but in shows, publications, interviews and other achievements, I have a little bit of imposter syndrome when looking at other artists with those same achievements. I still get giddy if I hear of my work being mentioned in the same breath as many of the artists I follow and admire. The insecurity and other mental health impacts are something that I never expected to be a reoccurring element of being a creative.

Bryant, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a professional figurative oil painter living and working out of my hometown of Charlotte, NC. I received my BA in Studio Art with an Art History minor from Centre College and my MFA in Painting with an Anatomy minor form The New York Academy of Art. I have exhibited work along the East coast from Sugarlift Gallery in New York City to the Miami Oriental as part of Miami Art Week. I was awarded Best Local Artist by Charlotte Magazine for their BOB (Best of the Best) awards in 2023, and have had my work featured in Create Magazine, The Blue Review, Thinking With Paper, and This Quarantine Life: A Comic Anthology.

While I do have a lot of traditional training in the arts, I didn’t always want to be an artist. I always drew as a kid and loved art camps, but it was never a focus. I took one art class in High School and went to college with no idea what path I would take. I played division III lacrosse, was in a fraternity, and started out as a financial economics major. I took an art class fairly early on as an elective, and became obsessed. I switched my major to art at the end of my sophomore year, and since then, art has become so closely intertwined with what I do as well as with who I am.

My work is very cinematic in the sense that each painting has a very strong narrative being depicted. My work combines visual elements from my childhood with kitsch elements of pop culture to influence the viewer’s perception of the past and address escapism through false, idealized memories.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

For the longest time, I thought every painting had to be a masterpiece or have some extremely deep meaning or narrative behind it. This often led to a crippling perfectionism that resulted in a ton of incomplete and overworked paintings.

I think my style works best when I work loosely and confidently. Rather than meticulously rendering extremely small sections, I use a few brushstrokes as I can for that area. The beauty of painting is that it is a bunch of colorful, abstract strokes and globs of paint when viewed very close, but as you step back it gives off the illusion of form, lighting, and detail.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

One thing, at least in my experience, that I have noticed, is that non creatives don’t seem to understand that you are always working in a sense. Even if I am off the clock and outside the studio, I have a sketchbook or notebook on hand to jot down ideas that spontaneously come up. Laying in bed, I think about what I am going to do tomorrow to improve a piece. When I look at the world around me, I see shapes, light and shadow, warm and cool. I squint to see the values, where someone who isn’t as trained may miss all of these just from a lack of awareness.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bryantportwood.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryantportwoodart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryantportwoodart/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bryantportwoodart

Image Credits
Bryant Portwood