Meet Talia Brown of Talia Art in West Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Talia Brown.

Talia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began as a very young child watching my mother paint our home various colors and helping me make all my school projects with a very artistic flare. She gave me my first experience with the beauty of colors, which sparked my interest in the arts. I began taking art class in elementary, where I began to have much appreciation for art of all aspects. I then went on to making art in middle school and high school. I also received my first camera around the same time. I began to take pictures of all my friends and events I would attend. My mother also continued to have art all around me in my childhood home until today. My mother being from Germany and having African culture in her life, influenced me in many ways. My expression through art came to form the history my mother taught me from her background. I grew up learning about African people that were very much depicted in Europe, like saint Maurice from Germany (an African saint) who was very well respected in Europe. I would go on to see beautiful paintings of him in the metropolitan museum of art in New York City. I say all of this to say art was never just art to me, it all originated from African and made me feel so powerful and majestic my entire life. Because I have helped the less fortunate and homeless people in my hometown, I felt art was a way to help people show expression and self-love when having hardship.

I attended the Indiana University of Bloomington, where I studied fine arts, art history, and photography. I received a bachelors degree. I have done tons of art shows and sold tons of work. Photography was my main focus for a while but painting has been a priority for now. I became a freelance painter and photographer. I have also taught art to younger children in my college town, through after school programs and volunteered at the boys and girls club and shelters. I realized then my passion and purpose in life was to help people through art expression. I love to let people express themselves by painting or drawing what they feel.

My freelance work now consists of large canvas paintings with oil paint, that consist of abstract color coordinations or spiritual body images. My website time to time has some of my pieces available Taliaartwork.com. I am currently still building my brand and business and love the process because I get to help people express themselves along the way. Sometimes, I am still shocked by the reviews of my work and activities or events that I do.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road. Sometimes, my main struggle is having a creative block or trying to find balance with paying jobs while being creative in my work. I have also feared what if people don’t like my work, would I be able to handle the criticism. Also, the pressure of the people around me having major expectations for my business or telling me what to create because maybe they don’t particularly like my work. That has made me second guess my process in the past. But for the most part, I have overcome these obstacles and realize my artist expression is my own pace on my own time.

We’d love to hear more about your artwork.
In my business Talia Art, I am a freelance abstract contemporary painter. I specialize in oil canvas paintings. Paintings ranging from very abstract color combinations to body images in abstraction formations. I am most proud of the way my customers value my work and they express to me how they feel when they put the painting their home etc. I think what sets me apart from others is that in each painting I made. I put so much history and influence from the person I am painting for into the painting itself. I want the meaning to be a very deep emotional connection to everyone that sees it. Most of the commission pieces are a reflection of not only my creativity but their personal self.

What were you like growing up?
I was energetic, goofy and always talking. I guess my parents would always say it was never quiet when I was home, so basically the life of the party. Very informative about the things I loved, like art, music, animals, earth, and space. I always had tons of groups of friends and I was always the one everyone would need to speak to get through things. I was very open-minded, very cultured and not easily influenced. I loved helping people and making people laugh. I also had an introverted side that lead me to focus on my art and learning about the many artists before me like Carrie Mae Weems, Kara Walker, and Archibald Motley Jr. I did every type of art like clay, plaster, wood, wire, painting, drawing, photography, photoshop and graphic design. I also loved sports and being outside.

Contact Info:

• Website: Taliaartwork.com
• Email: taliaartwork@gmail.com
• Instagram: TaliaArt and TaliaArtwork
• Facebook: TaliaArtwork

Image Credit:
Pictures in black dress – Slimwav, Yellow shirt – Tyler Brown, Pink jacket painting canvas – draw change photographer

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