Little Pieces of Art by Brandie Butcher- Isley

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