Little Pieces of Art by Brandie Butcher- Isley

Independence

 

I watched Iron Jawed Angels again last night... Of course it inspired me... it always does.  I just need to be reminded of the struggles our ancestors went through to pave the paths we walk on today.

You can see this piece and much more beginning tomorrow, July 7th, 2009 at the Ritual Cafe, 13th Street, Downtown Des Moines!

My first solo exhibition!

I will be having a reception Saturday, July 18th, 5-7 pm.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, in advance to all of you who attend.

Brandie

I Won 3rd Place at the Omaha Summer Arts Festival! I Rock!

"Learning from Each Other Can be Simple"

 

I faced two challenges with this piece. 

A.  I have an existing piece of the same title with the same picture done on a vintage tile that measures 3 x 9 inches.  Well, it gets a lot of attention, but it seems that people don't really know what to do with it, although they love the sentiment.  So I decided to create the piece on cradled clay board it measures 6 x 12 inches.  It can sit on it's own or it is ready to hang on the wall.

B.  I wanted to see if I could look at a prior technique, composition and color scheme from an earlier piece that I really loved and try to duplicate it... I even wanted to use the same mediums.  I totally pulled it off!  I was looking at "Pride".  Here it is:

 

OMG!  I won 3rd Place, over all, in Omaha this past weekend!  I love that show.  You really need to go next year if you can.  It is the best location, the best attendance, and absolutely unparalleled artist hospitality... Truly amazing!  (and not just because I was there... although... that was a plus...)

Lets see... What else...

Oh yeah... I will be having my first solo exhibition at the Ritual Cafe beginning July 6th!  A cool cafe in Downtown Des Moines... They are known for their stunning art and Live music!

There will be an Artist's Reception (that's me) on July 18th from 5-7, be there!

Also...  I am working on launching on-line workshops!  They will be affordable and fun!  Hey, you can learn how to do what I do!

I will be back soon, with more art!

Brandie

This is What Forever Means...

Forever is the promise of never forgetting someone... for even if you are no longer together, the experiences you shared will be with you your entire lifetime...  Please remember me even when I am no longer your friend...

Yeah for me!  I managed to finish a piece before this weekend!

So tomorrow morning bright and early, we are off to Omaha for the Omaha Summer Art's Festival...  I hope we don't cook in the hot hot sun!

July 6th, I hang my Artwork in the Ritual Cafe, Downtown Des Moines.  I will be having a reception July 18th from 5-7pm.  Everyone is invited!  I should have time to breathe and get a few new pieces done before the 6th... we'll see!

Thanks for visiting!

Brandie

Okay... Here we go again...

Back to Minnesota I go... This time to the fabulous Stone Arch Festival of the Arts!

 

Come and see me!  I am in booth #72..

It's gonna be a blast!

Brandie

How's This One for Happy!

 

"Her Innocence is Brilliant"

Isn't she just the sweetest thing!  In the photo she was holding hands with another girl... I see the kindest heart possible in this child... Her light shines bright and she is brilliant.

I used crackle medium in random spots on this piece.  I painted the background and then dripped different colors down on top of the wet paint.  When dry I brushed the crackle on in a few spots... I'm mentioning this because I find it interesting that I had different results on the different areas of paint even though the crackle was put down in even thicknesses where applied... I have large, small and tiny crackle in strips where the paint dripped.

This is another work inspired by a journal page.  Each piece done from my journal will have a special tag with a copy of the page attached to it.  I am sorry, but you will only get to see the journal pages if you purchase the artwork, or you can come and see them at one of my shows!  HA!  How's that for temptation!

I have to credit Avril Lavigne.  Although the lyrics are not exact, it was her song Innocence that inspired this piece.  My daughter had it on while I was journaling...

Thank you all for looking!

Brandie

Come and See Me!

Hey everyone!  I'll be in Excelsior, Minnesota Next Weekend...  Come and see me, booth 126! 

I'm busy getting some small "happy" pieces done, along with plenty of prints and cards...all a part of making sure there is something for everyone available for purchase.

 

And then... the weekend after that...  I will be at the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts!

June 20th and 21st!  Booth 72

  

Okay now... you Minnesota people... NO excuses!  I want to see you, come and say hi!

Brandie

How am I Supposed to Breathe

 

Are you keeping track?  It has been a year... almost to date...  You are probably not even paying attention...

In hindsight... I am thinking I most likely was never really very important to you...

It's as if someone has died... except that they haven't...  They are very much alive and breathing... only they are not available anymore.  I miss my extended family.

It is as if I have been damaged in some way, as if I were in a physical accident... where a part of me was broken...where therapy is needed to re-learn, like I have been spending the last year of my life trying to learn how to breathe again...

When will it stop?

This piece is another that began on a journal page... It was created on 10 x 9 x 2 inch cradled masonite. The image above is not complete due to the size of my scan bed...  The image is missing about 3/4 inch of the width.

This piece has a little soundtrack:

1. Picking Up the Pieces by Blue October

You can listen to the whole song on You Tube

buy this song on Amazon

2. Crowded Head by Collective Soul

Listen to a clip on Amazon

3. Fern by Zoe Keeting

Listen to a clip on Amazon

Also find Zoe Keating featured in a Radiolab podcast:

This is a 30 minute podcast interview with Zoe Keeting featuring live music clips

(check out Radiolab while you are there... they are awesome...)

Thank you for looking

Brandie

A Gift Given in Much Deserved Appreciation

 

“I Learned to Dream”

The boy in the forefront of this piece is my Grandfather.  I have a few photos of him as a boy, all of which are very inspirational.  This particular picture brings to my mind those things we take for granted today. Not the least of which that he had to quit school after the 8^th grade to help support his family.  Those of us who are not faced with such an oppressed situation take education for granted.  We seem to believe that today this is just something we are entitled to. I look at this picture and wonder what would have been different for my Grandfather if he were able to complete school.  Would he have had that one teacher that saw his potential and inspired him to act on it?

Do you remember that one teacher?  The one that for some reason noticed what you had inside of you before you even knew it was there?  I had such a teacher, actually, I was lucky enough to have two of them.  They came a few years apart and in different schools. I am sure you will not be surprised to learn that they were both art teachers.  They both fostered what my parents knew was there.  I remember my Mother’s appreciation of both of them.  I now understand the excitement and pride she unabashedly expressed.

I know now what it feels like when someone with so much potential to influence and change a life recognizes what you see inside your child. 

This piece of art is for an amazing teacher, no not an art teacher, but a teacher that encourages imagination in much the same way, a teacher who, when he met my daughter, saw her for what she truly is, an extraordinarily intelligent and imaginative individual.

I often have trouble finding words in conversation...  I am shy and insecure in this most common form of communication.  I am rescued by the means to express myself through my art...

I can't imagine a better way for me to make known my appreciation.

This piece was created on a 9 x 7 x 1.5 inch masonite cradled panel.  It began on my journal page where many of the elements were transferred to it's final substrate. 

I plan on including a copy of the journal pages with the collage pieces that are created from them.  I like to give the new owners a little bit of the inspiration behind their new piece of art. ( I am not ready to share them with the world though... I am feeling a little shy about posting them here.  That will have to be a fear conquered someday I am sure.)

Were you too as fortunate as my daughter?  Have any of you had the privilege of such a teacher?   Were you inspired, directed or redirected down a path due to this person.  I would love to hear your story.  Please share.

Thank you all for visiting,

Brandie

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I am overwhelmed...

Look what I have...  Pam Carriker created this piece especially for me. 

I look at this piece and I am overwhelmed with feelings of friendship... We were destined to meet and go on great artistic adventures together, I can feel it!

Thank you Pam... 

Brandie

Okay... I have never seen a palm tree in person...

I want to let the world know what a wonderful experience ZNE Convenzione was.  There is truly too much information for one post... So we will need to be patient as a carry the event experiences over a few posts.

I want to start with my workshop...  WOW!  Look at the work pictured below, so beautiful.

    

I was very nervous preparing for this class.  I teach with such a free spirit.  No outline, no restrictions, I just share my techniques beginning a piece just like I do, layer by layer, until we have finished pieces.  I shipped TONS of tools and a LOAD of ephemera for everyone to play with.  By providing the tools and authentic paper that I use in my process, the techniques I teach translate much better.

I wasn't sure how my "Free" approach would go over with the students at this convention.  I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed the class, I know I enjoyed teaching this group. We really got down and dirty... Totally messy!

 And AGAIN look at the fabulous work that came out of it!

Pam Carriker took my workshop... It was such a pleasure to meet her!  What a wonderful person.  Her artwork is so inspiring and it is a true representation of who she is... she has an artful soul, a kind soul.  I think we will be friends for a very long time.

Here is a piece of Pam's work created in my class:

  

Following are examples of the work completed by all of my students...  I haven't posted all pieces.  I will scatter them over the next few posts.  I think I have one piece from each student featured here:

 

  

Thank you all for visiting,

I will be posting much more soon! 

Brandie