Meet Jill Brown | Artist, painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jill Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jill, how do you think about risk?
I feel taking risks in life are essential to growth in my personal and professional lives. Taking risk, regardless the outcome, builds confidence and inspires new perspectives. Taking risks has led me to experiences that have made me who I am today. I’ve learned that my artwork is compromised when I start to hesitate, and I don’t make much progress. Painting for me is both experimental and self-discovering which equals artistic growth. The interplay of techniques I use on canvas is a constant risk which always leads to serendipitous discoveries that makes my paintings unique. As an artist I feel like a scientist who is constantly pushing the boundaries by exploring techniques and materials to affect a new outcome. Risk feeds into my personality and creativity which in turn expresses itself on canvas.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create large-scale, high-energy paintings using thick paint, gestural brushstrokes and a highly saturated palette. I enjoy the fierce physicality with my materials while I work. Making my paintings, through a series of layers and discoveries as I carve away images, is like a relationship between two people who share a silent language-or that of a person and their relationship to a particular person or place. While I make my paintings, my relationship with them is confrontational, tumultuous, secretive, familiar yet unpredictable, and often filled with multiple emotions that range from love to hate.

My paintings give me the freedom to express my thoughts about the world without rules or limits, other than the ones I create through my own interpretation. It is only the sensory elements matter to me while I am painting a particular work. My paintings develop through my emotional responses to these sensory elements-which can be investigated by the viewer to create their own connection.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In Dallas, I would make sure to check out The Power Station in Exposition Park followed by a much-anticipated visit to Dallas Contemporary’s Shepard Fairey exhibition. The Bishop Arts District is a great place for good food, people watching and shopping. A visit to Reunion Tower for sunset drinks and a birds eye views of the city is always a showstopper. You will always have fun taking in a Cowboys, Mavericks or Stars game. A visit to DFW would not be complete without a trip to Fort Worth to see the Stockyard district to check out the authentic cowboy vibe, enjoy a delicious steak and ice-cold beer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A Huge shout out to the absolute legends who are my Mom and Dad. They have always encouraged me to do what I love, follow my passions and have supported my painting habit and journey as an artist since the beginning. They are and always will be my biggest fans. A very special thank you to my dear friend and artist, Michal Romero who nominated me for this exciting opportunity. She is my go-to when I need a fresh set of eyes on a painting in progress or lending her wealth of knowledge about the artworld. I’d like to give it up to my former professor, Alexis Serio, who knew I was a painter before I did. Finally, thank you to all my unbelievable friends and family for their love, support and constant enthusiasm for me and my art.

Instagram: @jillbrownart

Other: artistjillbrown@gmail.com