You are certainly in for a textural treat today! We are excited to feature the work of Bryna Shields, an illustrator and surface designer based in Portland, OR. Bryna is also a member of our Textile Design Lab membership community! Bryna’s work is informed by a strong passion for vibrant color and movement and she draws inspiration from the dramatic landscapes of the Pacific Northwest (and nature in general), mid century art, vintage housewares, architecture and traveling. “My art practice is currently focused on experimenting with various media, combining unusual subject matter, and exploring the different ways they can be manipulated. Currently my practice includes blind contour drawings, mixed media paintings, and collage.”
“For this recent collection, under the overarching theme of ‘nocturne’, I was thinking about the great unknown and vastness of the galaxies in space, as well as the things here on Earth that resemble dramatic dream states but are more tangible (such as thunderstorms and super cells). The idea that storms can bring drama and danger, as well as calm. I also thought it would be interesting to incorporate the markings of nocturnal animals that come to life in the night. Creating a moodboard with this imagery in mind helped to envision how these elements could be combined in the art.”
“I started off creating a pile of paintings using gouache, india ink and watercolor. Then I scanned them in and layered two or three paintings on top of each other in Photoshop, exploring the interplay of the bright colors with some of the more stark markings. This was the most abstract theme I’ve worked on, so I used that as an opportunity to be really playful and experimental with the development until the piece evoked a feeling that harkened back to the original ideas of storms and galaxies.” Learn more about Bryna’s work here: brynashields.com/blog
