Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Brett.
Hi Paula, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The becoming of an artist is a bit of a journey for any artist, I believe. If I look back and follow the breadcrumbs, I can see how mine began with my father, who was also an artist. But the truth is, I didn’t realize how much he had an impact on me until much later.
As a child, I had creative pursuits, but not in the traditional sense. I loved playing with my dolls and my dollhouse- making all of their clothes and carefully creating furniture out of upcycled toothpaste boxes and the like, but I wasn’t really into what I thought was “art”.
It wasn’t until college where I finally dipped my toes into formal study. Attending UGA, I was on track to become a Science teacher. The one thing I knew I always wanted to do was teach, and I loved science, so it all made sense. One little problem faced me – taking five classes of Physics- I could barely pass one!! I remember standing in our little apartment, crying to my roommates, feeling like I had no idea what to do. My friend said, why don’t you switch your major to Art- you are an artist! Whoa- this was crazy, I thought. I *never* thought of myself as an artist. It seemed like an art degree would be a joke and a total waste of college funds, but that’s exactly what I did. It was my first “rebel” act and maybe my very first artistic move.
They say that teaching a subject is the best way to really learn it and I 100% agree. My formal teaching career spanned 15 years and took me places I never would’ve dreamed of! Starting off at Banneker High School in South Fulton, then up to North Fulton at Independence High School, I taught for a total of 5 years. I left Atlanta and moved to Chicago where I was hired at Walter Payton College Prep and pursued my MFA at Columbia College at the same time. After that, I took a giant leap with a position teaching at the Anglo-American International School in Moscow. From there, I moved to Budapest where I opened my own studio teaching art to expats, taught college courses at the International Business School, and was a docent educator for the Ludwig Museum.
After so many years of teaching, I knew I wanted to focus on my own art practice. Luckily, I married a wonderful man willing to support me as I got myself started. This also coincided with having two young children, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My first “break” being recognized as an artist happened with my candy mandalas. I created intricate mandalas (circular patterns that symbolize oneness) out of all kinds of candy and photographed them. These took off in popularity landing me gallery representation, sales, and a lot of publicity including print and local tv spots. The mandalas morphed to include other objects, and I won a grant from the city of Tampa where I was living at the time to make the mandalas large-scale.
We moved back to Atlanta in 2017, and since then I’ve put the focus back on my painting and teaching practice, where I find the most freedom and joy. Today, I’m creating large, expressive abstracts full of energy and life. It’s my intention for my paintings to bring all of that goodness to the lives and homes of my collectors. I also teach expressive painting both online and in person as well as mentor artists to lead fulfilling careers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Deciding to be an artist and figure out who you are and what you have to say with your work is never an easy road, nor should it be! It’s a constantly evolving process, and if you are really honest with yourself, you will come up against some (many) obstacles in the road.
From choosing your medium to marketing to daily practice, being an artist is simply not an easy job. It takes a ton of energy and wherewithal. Luckily, I happen to have both of those, but it’s a lot of work to keep that going. I find the work to be rewarding on so many levels and that’s the reason I keep coming back.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make colorful, gestural, abstract paintings in both large and small scale. The forms and rhythms are derived from landscapes and feelings observed and impressed in my memory. I make these paintings quickly, working through many versions to create works that have depth and life in each layer.
My goal is for the viewer to feel an intimacy with the work, where you feel transported into a beautiful, rich world of wonder and contemplation and ultimately a sense of joy.
Currently, I’m most proud of my largest scale paintings to date, one that is 19×4 ft. and another 12×8. They were so much fun to paint! They are both gracing the walls of a new office building in midtown Tampa.
What sets me apart from others is that my work is extremely intuitive- painting with my heart rather than my head as much as possible. Painting this way keeps my work alive, fresh, wild and free.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My team of supporters are my family – first and foremost, my husband who always encouraged me to go for the dream. My father was really my first role model, though. Just the idea of being an artist really came from him and his legacy.
Contact Info:
- Email: paula@PaulaMBrett.com
- Website: www.paulambrett.com
- Instagram: @abstract_artist_brett
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulaBrettArt
- Twitter: @paulabrettart
- Other: https://paulabrett.teachable.com
Image Credits:
Amanda Tanner
