We recently connected with Brigitte Huson and have shared our conversation below.
Brigitte , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Ever since I could hold a pen, I loved to draw and I would fill notebooks in the backseat of our station wagon as my mom chauffeured my siblings here, there, and everywhere. We had a big craft table in our basement where I was allowed to create small collages or sculptures out of paper and boxes and make a beautiful mess (to be cleaned up later of course). I was introduced to painting in elementary art class but didn’t take a strong interest in it until high school. My high school art teacher was incredible in that she encouraged us to think seriously about our projects and to treat the art room as our own studio. I don’t remember it feeling like one of my other classes, so much as studio time to explore painting, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics and build those creative foundations.
When it came time for college applications and choosing a major, I didn’t think of art as a career path but I knew I would always continue my creative journey nevertheless. My siblings are engineers but I have always happily been the odd one out with my art supplies and big imagination. I chose elementary education and was ready to settle into my first semester of classes at the University of Dayton in Ohio.
As fate would have it, my roommate happened to be an art major. The second week of classes, she arrived home one afternoon to our tiny dorm room with bags and boxes of art supplies and large pads of newsprint and drawing paper. I called my guidance counselor that day and switched my major to Art Education. Our university, at the time, had a dual program for a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Art education and Studio Arts and I immediately knew that I was right where I was meant to be. The dual degree involved a slightly larger course load and two separate portfolios to complete for graduation but I knew being an art educator was the perfect balance of a reliable career that still allowed time to explore and create work in my home studio. I taught elementary art for 10 years in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia and was so grateful for their support of the arts. I became a stay at home mom 8 years ago and have since refocused on painting and drawing and building connections in my local arts scene through workshops and private lessons.
Brigitte , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I was born and raised in Nashville, TN and received my BFA in Art Education and Studio Art, with a focus on painting and drawing, from the University of Dayton in Ohio. After graduation, I shared my creativity and love for the arts throughout 10 years of teaching elementary art in Northern Virginia. Eight years ago, I moved to the beautiful town of Staunton, VA, with my family. After years in education helping children find their inspiration and artistic side, I am so grateful to be refocusing on my own personal love for painting and drawing and finding my place in the Staunton Arts community. The arts are thriving in this area and I have made many amazing connections while exhibiting and selling work through local shops, participating in local art fairs, and leading painting workshops, in addition to private lessons for local homeschool students.
Drawing from my teaching experience at the elementary level, I see painting workshops as a way to build creativity and confidence in people of all ages and teach a basic foundation in sketching, composition, and color theory. I have teamed up with local florists and flower farmers to host workshops during which participants make a custom bouquet and learn still life painting techniques as they paint their bouquet! On that same wavelength, I planned a Valentine’s workshop with cupcakes from a local bakery as the subject of our painting. I love collaborating with other creatives and helping people find their artistic side, if only for a few hours.
Last year, I learned about grant funding available through the Virginia Commission for the Arts and successfully applied to be on their Teaching Artist Roster. I have been honored to be able to teach several workshops at a local library, completely free and accessible to participants because of this wonderful organization. I hate to think how financial constraints prevent people from accessing the arts and am very grateful to be a part of such a strong supportive organization.
Commissions have always been an important part of my practice and an essential way to share my gift and hone my talent. Each custom painting presents a new creative challenge and stretches my focus, improving my skills and making unforgettable connections with clients. I have painted childhood homes, beloved pets, loved ones, and landscapes that hold special meaning and memories and I am so grateful to capture those in an original, custom piece.
In my own personal work, I am drawn to landscapes, cityscapes, and still lifes that reflect the color, light, and beauty of the world around me. My style walks a fine line between mastering the realistic colors, shapes, and perspective of a particular scene and capturing the memory or feeling of the moment I felt inspired by that scene. Each painting becomes a small battle between my desire for realism and my need to play with or conquer the texture, color, light, and emotion. I think of it as taking ownership of the moment through recreating and reinterpreting it on canvas or paper.
As the world grows more chaotic lately, I find myself particularly drawn to light, shadows, and skies. Last year, I created an entire collection called “Looking Up!” which was featured in a solo show at The Art Hive Collective in Staunton. That collection was such a validating moment and still inspires me today. While I absolutely love commissions and creating custom pieces for clients, I cannot forget to create work for myself and explore what inspires me most.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I think many creatives at one point or another realize that they do not have to follow a particular set of rules for their practice. Go outside the box. Try the thing that someone once told you was not acceptable or traditional. A very basic example of this, from my experience, was reversing some of what I was taught in studio classes such as only using specific paint colors or holding the brushes a certain way. I am still “unlearning” as I watch other artists explore different media and processes, and espeically as I spend time with my children as they merely play with arts and crafts materials and create without worrying about the finished product. I am still “unlearning” as I pull out a canvas and start painting shadows on my floor without worrying what it will become in the end. It’s okay to focus on process not product sometimes because eventually that practice and exploration will improve every product or piece you create later on.
Another lesson I have learned from family and friends, the local arts community, fellow artists, and an amazing organization called Creative Mornings, is the importance of creating your own opportunities. When we first moved to the area I applied to the main local gallery and was promptly dismissed, My art was “too decorative” and to apply again if I were to change my “style and colors.” It took several years before I was ready to reach out and network to find my place. Those years were busy with two young children at home but in the meantime, I never stopped creating and I kept watching other artists, seeing how they built up their business through festivals, exhibiting at downtown shops, live painting in different locations, and offering workshops. Through networking and going out of my comfort zone, I am now much more confident in applying to markets, asking local business owners for opportunities to show my work, organizing workshops, and promoting commissions and paintings on social media! Know your worth, surround yourself with supportive family and friends, and create new opportunities if they aren’t already there!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
As an artist and an art teacher, there are so many different aspects of being creative that I will never take for granted. When teaching, seeing that creative lightbulb go off for a student of any age is an incredible feeling. The arts are absolutely essential for a well-rounded thoughtful society and the more I can promote creative thinking or artistic exploration the better. When painting and creating on a regular basis, the most rewarding aspect is the balance it brings to my thoughts and a heightened observation of the world around me. I am forever grateful for having “artist eyes” although it does mean friends and family have to be patient sometimes if I’m easily distracted by clouds or a scenic view or an architectural detail.
The ultimate reward, however, is the influence my creativity has on my children. I have never been afraid to let them make a mess, try my “grownup” paints, or learn to use different arts and crafts tools. Does the amount of paintings, drawings, box forts, painters tape, and paper sculptures get overwhelming sometimes? Absolutely. But it is one hundred percent worth it to see how it helps them think creatively, dive into something new, or take a two dimensional idea and make it three dimensional. I’ve noticed that they will point out a cool cloud or a beautiful view or an interesting illustration. They take the time to be creative as they play! I can tell it has helped them with reading and writing and problem solving in math. I know that even if they do not become professional artists, that creative thinking is already enriching their lives! That is absolutely the ultimate reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brigittemariefineart.com
- Instagram: @brigmariepaints
- Facebook: Brigmariepaints
Image Credits
Photography by Sera Petras