Glass and water. Trasparent distorsions of a reflex. This is what strikes me most of her work. And the simple complexity of her compositions.
So happy to introduce today Briana Taylor.
This is what Briana says about her life "I’ve been an artist all my life, but I only became very serious about it after going back to college as an older student. I graduated as Valedictorian from Holyoke Community College with an AS in Visual Arts. I then went to Mount Holyoke College, where I graduated Cum Laude in 1998 with a BA in Studio Art and English. I have maintained a professional studio since then and have never stopped making art."
WHEN DID YOU START BEING AN ARTIST?
Ever since I could work with tools and materials I’ve been making things. I am compelled to work with my hands in a creative way and it’s always been a part of me.
WHO INFLUENCED YOU?
At an early age, I was inspired by seeing art in museums, on TV, and all around me. Art is everywhere if you take the time to see it, even in everyday objects. Someone had to think of it, design it, create it. I was influenced by how much it plays a part in our everyday lives, and amazed by how often people failed to recognize it. When I told my mother I wanted to go to art school, she said I should do something practical, something that I could actually be employed doing. Creative people should be encouraged. There is a lot of “practical art” to be made.
WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK SPECIAL?
The art I’m making now is special to me because it’s very sentimental. Maybe not so clearly to the average viewer, but to me. I like to choose subjects that are meaningful to me and my life. The Ball jars, for instance, are nostalgic personally, but are also culturally historic. Every year, my mother, grandmother, sister, and I, would gather our vegetables to can together. Both my mom and grandmother are gone now, but I still make jellies and can vegetables every year and think of them. I’ve had people become inspired to tell me their personal stories about these objects when they see my work. It’s a connection that a lot of us can still find.
WHERE DO YOU LOVE TO WORK?
Ha! I’m kind of a diva when it comes to working! I’m one of those people that has to have everything in its place and everything clean before I can begin. Other than the complete OCD ritual of the clean, I like to work where there is a lot of light and fresh air. I work more in the spring/summer/fall than in winter, mostly because I can open the windows.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SELL ON ETSY?
I opened my painting shop on Etsy in July of 2007, so I’ve been with them for a while now. I am also a quilter and have another shop called BtaylorQuilts and have been selling my sewn goods since December 2007. I can’t even remember how I discovered Etsy for the first time, but I do remember setting up my shops and being very excited to have my first sales.
Mostly I decided to sell on Etsy because it was very pretty to look at back then, there was a community of like minded artisans to connect with, and it was an inexpensive platform.
YOUR MANTRA
Because art is necessary
REASON TO BUY ART
Well ... because art is necessary. LOL!
Find more of Briana Taylor's art and purchase her creations here
