Spur of the Moment Creations: An Interview with Brooke Florian
Brooke Florian, a third-year studio art major at SDSU, has been creating art since her early childhood.
“I’ve always been passionate about art for as long as I could remember,” she said.
This child-like wonder and infatuation with the subject has manifested itself in her current work and influences the vibrancy captured on the canvas, whatever it may be. Florian described this vibrancy perfectly.
“I love child-like art with heavy saturation and story-telling elements,” she said. “I like to try and combine elements of childhood innocence and fun with the confusing emotionality of adolescence.”
Florian’s work and medium of choice ranges from oil paint and colored pencil to polymer clay. self-taught and began formal training while attending university, her process for creating a new piece is quite inspiring.
“More often than not, my creations are spur of the moment rather than planned,” she explained.
This experimental process has great creative yield and allows for her pieces to capture the emotions she hopes to invoke in a thought-provoking and colorful way.
Inspiration for one's art can come from anywhere and Florian describes hers as, “... the experiences I have had with others, nature and my own self.” Music and film also are named as big sources of her creative energy.
A great way to make your artistic voice known and debut on the art scene is to sell commissions or get a vending gig at an art and music show. On her Instagram, @squ3mish, Florian creates and sells commissioned pieces. But during this past week, she got the amazing opportunity to vend at her first show. These art and music shows are very popular in the SoCal area and are fun opportunities for budding creatives.
Florian describes how an artist would prepare to sell at one of these shows and gives an inside look into what getting ready looks like for her.
“To prepare for the show, I photographed my works and got them printed in many sizes,” she said. “I also purchased plastic slips to keep them safe and made plenty of copies.”
The artist also said she came prepared with her jewelry making supplies to continue crafting pieces as they sold. Vending for the first time is a big deal and Florian sums up her experience as one that was generally positive and a great learning experience for her next event.
Florian loves the process of creating art because, as she puts it, “It can be just as stressful as it is fun.”
She hopes to expand her career in the future through the exploration of mediums and collaboration with other artists. To close her interview with The Look, Florain spoke on what advice she would give to anyone looking to explore their creativity or begin their journey as an artist.
“Create every time you have the urge to, and don’t be afraid of taking inspiration from other artists,” Florian said. “Also, don’t be discouraged when a piece doesn’t turn out how you had planned. The lack of predictability is a part of the fun!”
Isabella Perez — November 9th, 2021
