Pushed by a desire to create and a lifelong passion for horses, artist Brittany Brett beautifully documents raw emotion and energy in her equestrian oil paintings. Traveling the world and documenting any and all equestrian walks of life, Brittany gains experiences and observations to fuel her work and master the complex creature of the horse. Equestrianstylist.com had the pleasure of interviewing Brittany to find out more about her creative process and inspirations.
Q: Can you give us a brief intro to you and your artwork?
BB: My name is Brittany Brett. I am a representational artist, specializing in Equestrian oil paintings. I currently reside in New York City, I find my work flow thrives in a city driven by creatives. Having grown up an equestrian, I continue to travel and surround myself with horses and others who share my love of the animal. I am interested in diverse cultures and discipline; for it’s the relationship between man and horse that intrigues me. I paint from my own photography or from life, experiencing the scene first hand allows me to bring in elements of memory and emotion.
Q: Your paintings beautifully capture the raw emotion and athletic power of the horse. Were you always interested in painting horses/how did it begin?
BB: I grew up on my family’s horse farm in Jupiter, FL that specializes in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Immersed in an equine world, I naturally grew passionate about horses. I was able to first hand view their gift to change lives and experience the horse-show aspect as well. All along, I was driven to create. I attended Alexander Dreyfoos School for the Arts for high school and went on to receive a BFA in Photography and Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Throughout my career at SCAD I competed on the Varsity Equestrian Team. I have been observing athletic horses my entire life. As I developed into an artist over the years, I was mastering the art of observing- and I began striving to master what I loved, the horse.
Q: How would you describe your creative process?
BB: The creative process can always vary, but coffee and music are a must. The process of a painting is long but rewarding. First step is finding the subject matter and composition- documenting, sketching and understanding. Next is building a frame for linen and stretching it or finding the perfect panel and priming the surface. I would argue that the drawing is the most crucial part. Because I was trained to work from life, even when referencing a photograph, I strive to create depth and form as lifelike as possible. My method of painting varies from techniques learned over the years. I start with shapes, form, build bone structure and muscle while having an emotional response to color. Once the structure of the subject is in place I can begin to look more in depth at details in the shadows or elements such as veins. There are countless layers. Knowing when to stop can be tricky. To leave my emotion showing in brushstrokes can be vulnerable but I’m never trying to recreate a flat photograph. The process is about confidence in brushstrokes to best represent life. I continue to further my education in the arts by taking workshops from contemporary masters and attend weekly nude life drawing sessions, which help so much with drawing the horse.
Q: Who or what influences and inspires your work?
BB: I’m influenced by the Masters and I’m inspired by life. Art that moves me personally are the works in which color is pure, lighting is thoughtful, anatomy is correct or technique is achieved. Artists such as Sargent, Leonardo, Stubbs, Munnings, Turner, Rothko, Caravaggio, Kassan (to name a few) all influence me to push harder toward my personal vision. Seeing their work in museums is a reminder that our paintings will live on longer than the artist. As I travel the world I surround myself with driven, passionate and talented people. From riders, other artists, writers, musiciansand athletes- their work and lifestyle fuel my joy in life. Every experience is something to learn from, and I’m inspired to create the ones that deserve to live on forever. It’s knowing what angle and light to see the experience in. That’s my job.
Q: In 2012, your piece ‘Quintessence’ was chosen as the Hampton Classic poster. Can you tell us about that experience?
BB: I was very honored to have been chosen as the Hampton Classic poster artist in 2012. Although I enjoy all the horse shows I attend, there is something very special and visually stimulating about these grounds. It’s intimate, well manicured and the caliber of riders and horses are very apparent. While all of this is pleasing to the eye, I wanted to create what it takes as a rider to achieve such a picture perfect round. I chose the experience of the schooling ring and worked from a photograph I took of Darragh Kenny there in 2011. It’s one of my favorite places to document raw emotion. It’s an experience of horse showing that deserved to be highlighted. So many non-horse people attend the Classic, I wanted them to appreciate this aspect as well. It was about capturing the energy of diligence, the connection between rider and horse, highlighting the subjects (not the surroundings) and bringing to light what it takes to be a rider in a show: Hard work, and to me that is beautiful.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
BB: I’m currently back home in South Florida for the winter. I spend these months working from life, documenting everything I can from horse shows and polo matches to the sunrise breezing of racehorses. I love being able to network with so many equestrian walks of life and witness the presence of incredibly athletic horses. Artistically speaking, I have a goal of creating more drawings. The paintings I am working on are donations, commissions and finishing work for an upcoming Equine Art show in Northwood (West Palm Beach) set for the end of season.
Q: Your paintings effortlessly convey captivating equine moments. Above all what do you hope your audience takes away from your artwork?
BB: It is my hope that viewers are able to look beyond my work as just an image of a horse. I hope they are able to appreciate important elements of art and fleeting moments in time. My paintings are never suppose to ‘look like a photograph’. They are meant to represent the subject from life; they have depth and texture. I strive for correct anatomy and constantly try to better my draftsmanship. My colors are layered in organic and inorganic pigments to make light reflective and the edges of the horse are thoughtfully planned. There is movement, there is emotion, and there is energy. I hope a viewer is able feel an emotional response to their visual understanding of how I view this world and the horse. If it is their horse I painted, I want to capture the essence of him but also show them something they’ve never seen in their horse before. If I paint dramatic lighting, I hope the next time life presents them with a beautifully lit moment they have a new appreciation for it. The horse is a very complex creature that I have studied for endless hours. I’m recording what I study in my time on earth for my audience today but also for many generations to come.
To view more of Brittany Brett’s art or to purchase, please visit: http://www.brittanybrett.com
