The Islander: Audrey Lorissa Brown Art Business Incubator Graduate |
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Photo: Audrey Lorissa Brown. Evolution Graduation Showcase. |
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The Art Business Incubator's third class of residents is underway with Surreal Artist Audrey Lorissa Brown, the first in line to graduate with space in the ABI’s plaza for her new gallery.
Brown is a Dallas native who moved to the Island two years ago. She was encouraged by friends to join the ABI residency program. Before starting her residency, Audrey enjoyed the hermit lifestyle of painting on her balcony and giving the beach many visits. "I applied, and they accepted me on my birthday, Feb. 1. It was a really good day," Brown joyfully reminisced. |
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Befriending Art Brown's background in art started from a young age.
She picked up a pencil at a young age and never stopped. So naturally, her mother noticed her creativity and put Brown in private art lessons.
In college, Brown sought to discover and rediscover her inner artistic style by breaking traditional techniques and diving deeper into thought. She started with her inner self-portrait series, where she intended to throw away the conventional form of figure drawing. |
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"I found my style after my wild horses inner self-portrait series, which turned into many other series of self-portraits," Brown said.
While earning her bachelor's degree in fine arts, (BFA), Brown also minored in sociology and loved studying how the mind work.
"Not everything is the same, and everybody can see things differently," she said. Her primary art medium is oil base paints and Prismacolor oil-based colored pencils. |
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| Surrealism in Art Surrealism art is abstract expressionism that would be considered postmodern art.
It developed around 1920 as a cultural movement in Europe in the aftermath of World War I. Artists using the style depicted unnerving and illogical scenes, developing techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. |
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Brown's style involves being alone in her subconscious. No music, no people, just the human stream of consciousness is her focus. One mention of the subconscious speaking for Brown was her Guardian Angel series. In the series, Brown drew fingerprints in the background and later realized the entire series was inspired by her late grandmother, whom she never met.
Because of her style, Brown doesn't see herself as a painter but more of a visionary. ABI Journey Brown heightened the definition of her style while at the ABI, leading to many opportunities for her as an artist.
"I loved this program. It's opened so many doors that would not have been so easily available for me without this program," Brown said about the one-year ABI residency.
The aspect of running your own business is part of the ABI curriculum. It offers artists a chance to see their strengths as well as their challenges. Selling her art with her colleagues was exciting due to her love for art and her background in sales. What was challenging for Brown was social media. Navigating social media has become the rock of her foundation.
"I used to be extremely turned off by social media, but I opened myself up to something new, and I am enjoying it," Brown said. |
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Evolution Brown featured portraits of endangered species in a show she titled "Evolution." Journeying through life is about evolving for Brown and learning to accept change, whether positive or negative. Pressure comes before evolving.
"My show is about evolving," Brown said. "But unfortunately, life never stays still."
Brown says the past year of her life caused her to drastically evolve. Brown’s life inspired her work and the exhibition's name. Rising above life's challenges, Brown alchemized her experiences and offered art classes to help others do the same through art.
The Alorissaart Mission
In the coming months, Brown expects to continue selling her work, offering a few classes, and focusing on her commissions. Her gallery in the ABI’s 2500 plaza on Padre Boulevard will be the first of many.
Brown hopes to extend her surrealist brand to other islands like Costa Rica and St. Thomas. She will take one day at a time and hopes for sales to triple.
"I want to be a contributor to the Island economically and help bring other people to the Island," she said "I want to be a part of that because it's essential." |
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