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

Hi Brandin, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I started drawing in the 4th grade. Simple drawings of people. I practiced everyday, especially during class when I had free time. Eventually I wanted to start drawing something in front me. So I took a VHS case of Lady and the Tramp and drew it out. It was the first recreation I did and it was spot on! By the time I got to high school, I met my art teacher and he became my mentor. Every semester I signed up for his class, and every year he pushed me further. He introduced me to various styles, techniques, media, and that is when I learned how to paint. Knowing what I know now, I would have studied the craft more.

The most essential skills are really the basics—draw exactly what you see, as YOU see it. Start with simple lines and build up from there.

The biggest obstacle was not having access to creative opportunities. I didn’t start showcasing my work until my collegiate career.

Brandin, 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 studied art at North Carolina A&T State University where I became serious about painting. Because of my work there, I gained support from colleagues as well as people in my community.

I do commission based work, mainly portraits, but I take on a variety of challenges provided by my clients. Everyone has so many different ideas they want to incorporate into a painting, and I’m able to take all of those ideas and make it make sense visually. That comes from years of experience, being knowledgeable about the elements and principles of design, and doing research on themes/concepts I’ve never worked with before. My main goal is to give the client what they want, creating high quality works of art, thus making them happy with what they see.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2017 I started teaching middle school art. I did that for 2 years before I quit and started painting full time. Although it was a struggle, the experience was rewarding. It brought a peace that I can’t quite explain.

When the pandemic hit, it set me back. I had to pack up and move home, and start a job search, as commission requests were not doing so well. In that time I’ve tried to make time to just create original works, which most have sold—but I stopped taking commissions due to my new work schedule.

Since then I’ve picked up a new adventure in creating custom designed corn hole boards with my dad—which has now become a family business. We call it “Bennett Boards”, where we create a set of boards, designs based on what the client wants, with me adding a little “razzle-dazzle”. My dad, Nelson Bennett, builds the boards, using his experience in carpentry. My mom, Jennifer Bennett, uses her sewing skills to make two sets of bags and a complimentary carrying tote. And my sister Alexandria Bennett—founder of A-Squared Designs—helps with intricate designs and lettering.

I hope to one day be able to have the time again to create as much as I was before. But creating original works allows me the freedom to express myself to the world. Creating the corn hole boards allows me time to work with my family.

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 a time I would create works from to start to finish without any problems. Until I picked up oil painting. It brought about new frustrations, I had so many incomplete works, and I can’t count how many I just threw away to start over. I had to slow down and go back to the basics. I was trying to add detail when the painting wasn’t ready for it. I had to learn a new pace and a new process for oil painting that I hadn’t used before.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @gift.edbybran

Image Credits
Andrew Koritzer, Jr.