Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brenda Boylan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Brenda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Last month, I was asked to share a bit of my time with a group home of disabled and confined patients in a small private group home. The “patients” are facing their end of life, or recuperating from traumatic injuries. Never have I thought to paint for others in a situation like this. The experience will ring in my memory as “life-changing”. We all pass…and when we are amongst folks who are facing their lives “head on” and who have never seen a paintbrush work upon a surface…they eventually come alive!

Let me share…
I spent a few hours at a small senior/dismembered home where the poorest, weakest, and disabled live, and are lovingly cared for. I pushed myself over to the other side of art, that of the gift of creative giving.
The patients were at first curious and speechless as I worked up a piece, one that I had painted many times before….a piece that had all the problems solved, yet unique in itself. Eventually, the questions and conversations came along and were genuine. There were genuine laughs, curious questions, and small interactions with the patients. How could a person never experience art in the making…is beyond my own comprehension, yet there are millions of people who have not! And facing an amended life? WOAH!
What a GIFT this was…I gained more from the “giving” than from the “receiving”.

Brenda

Brenda, 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’m often asked how and why I became an artist, My earliest memories involved a playful curiosity for materials that could be manipulated by hand…including but not limited to crayons on paper, but also sticks, paint, gum, wire, chalk, clay, and paper. As I developed my creativity, it became evident that drawing was enjoyable and portable for me while out and about, thus giving me much fuel to continue. Soon enough I earned a B. S. Degree in Applied Art and Design at Cal Poly State University and initiated my creative goals by designing for the Sportswear industry.

I have always loved working on a team, however, over time, I began to feel constrained by the lack of creativity within the corporate structure, I took a risk and left my career as a designer to begin painting and exploring color relationships through both oil paint and soft pastels. I found both mediums provided endless combinations to express myself. Painting became a respite, a sanctuary, and a means to express the beauty around me, and soon formed relationships with other artists whom I now call family.

My core subject matter revolves around the energy of light and how I can make my painting medium appear to glow. I love expressing light in unusual situations. as well as finding ways to convey the luminosity and phenomenon of light. Through my work, I have found that the relationship between light and color is symbiotic and scientific in nature…light cannot be without color, and color can not glow without light.

A stack of accomplishments and sales of art is fuel for artists, but there is no sure path for anyone in this field. So what sets an artist’s work apart from other visual artists? I believe it is the ability to convey relatability in a painting….a message of sorts…or perhaps a story within the pigment. I ask myself before I start any piece, “Can the viewer mentally step inside the painting and visit for a while?”, “What do I want them to feel when they look, glance, or gaze at this piece?” “Will it hold the viewer’s interest?” Yet, besides the potential recognition,, award money, and sales, I want my paintings to be relatable, and that always comes first.

It is an artist’s dream to have their art published and featured on the front cover of a National publication. I feel so fortunate to have “The Pastel Journal” magazine select my work for publication, This was and still is my proudest art accomplishment to date, I feel so fortunate that my work was also published in Plein Air Magazine, Pratique des Artes (France), The Art of Plein Air Painting, and The Best of America Pastel. I have also assembled a Signature product line of Jack Richeson Pastels for use at home or plein air painting. Because I love nature, I practice painting and teaching en plein air and have been a featured instructor at several Plein Air Convention and Expo (PACE), Recently, I have been featured instructional pastel painting video shared through Streamline Publishing’s video series.

My fine art is represented and available online through Illume Gallery of Fine Art online, and Art Elements Gallery located in the beautiful wine country of Newberg, OR.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best thing to do to support artists, creatives, and a thriving creative ecosystem, is to teach our children to explore all art avenues. Our society in America is so under-exposed to the fine arts and creative culture. Our schools have all but eliminated an art period during grade school, so it is up to families to foster creativity. Display art in your home and have conversations with children about the work. Take them to art museums that offer storylines to the work on display. Go to the library and check out a book on a visual artist. Have discussions on what and why they feel when they look at a work of art. Ask them what is happening in the painting. Show them art movements such as modern art and classical Renaissance art Your lives will have more meaning, more beauty, and more understanding of society!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Some of the best resources on art management can be found through online podcasts and interviews of artists and their businesses. The best aspect about a podcast is you can create while listening to them! I enjoy listening to Art Dealer Diaries, The Artful Painter, The Plein Ari Podcast, Art Juice, and An Artist’s Journey Podcast.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brendaboylan.com
• Instagram: @brendaboylanart
• Facebook: Brenda Boylan, Artist