1 4

Hi, I'm Brianna

Over the last few years, I have made the subtle but important shift from making my life about art to making art about my life. I am currently in my sit-com era which means I live a 10 minute walk from my best friend, I’m a regular my local coffee shop, I’m pre-success career-wise, and my love life makes for interesting conversation over brunch (and art). I have a distinctive wardrobe and a job you’ve never heard of. The genre is: feel-good drama with a niche sense of humour that will make you cry.

kindred spirits sign up here

What am I looking at, exactly?

All of this artwork is printmaking, as in letterpress, not inkjet. A huge majority of it is linocut printmaking. This means I carve linoleum (the flooring material) into a kind of stamp, that I then ink and press into paper to transfer the image. The colours are built up in layers: one layer for every colour in the print. Some of the text elements are transferred from lead type.

This art is all about

  • People

    Nearly everyone depicted in my work is a real person! I love to consult with my community (in person and via email) when I'm generating ideas.  Usually their experience is included somehow in addition to their likeness.

  • Colour

    I adore colour. It's not necessarily about being bright or bold, more about combinations that scratch an itch or evoke a feeling. My print technique results in highly dimensional colour that doesn't quite translate into digital photos! Have a look at the magnifying glass photos in a bunch of the artworks in the shop. They're one inch square and sometimes look completely unexpected.

  • Feeling all the Feelings

    Comfort, Vulnerability, Empathy, Sadness, Curiosity, Belonging, Grief, Pride, Joy, Relief, Self-compassion, Wonder, Gratitude, Disappointment, Admiration, Anger, Guilt, Overwhelm, Bittersweetness...

Looking for the Portfolio?

If you're thinking of doing some shopping, you're in exactly the right place! But if you want to see all of my art sorted by project, or browse my library, or check my CV... those things are on my portfolio site.

www.briannatosswill.ca