Meet Brandon Morrison | Painter, Artist

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

Hi Brandon, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I have been married for nearly eleven years. My wife are both artists and well matched for each other. We have an eight year old daughter, a twelve year old dog and a home in Grant Park.

For the past three years I have leased a small, forward facing studio/gallery space at the Beacon, 1039 Grant St. Atlanta, GA. 30315. In that time I have been fortunate to sell enough paintings to quit my previous job and to pursue painting as a career full time. My studio is walking distance from my home and from my daughters school.

The decision to quit a full time, salaried position to pursue a career as a painter was daunting, but it has proven to be an amazing opportunity. Most days, I cannot wait to go to the studio, to work and paint and explore new ideas. I am also fortunate that my space, though small, is visible and accessible to clients and casual passersby. I am often blessed to be able to meet neighbors and wanderers that find themselves drawn to my work. It is a distinct pleasure to be able to dialogue about art and music and my paintings with an increasingly diverse group of people. Often I am encouraged by a total stranger that I seem to be on the right path.

Detached from the routine of a strict 9-5 schedule, I am now able to accomplish many of the mundane tasks that were previously delegated to nights and weekends. I am able to participate in drop-off and pick-up of my child from school, saving money on daycare and affording the opportunity to spend more time together. I am able to cook dinner and help in the house in a way that was previously impossible.

Over the past year, with school lockdowns and quarantine safety measures in place, I was able to continue to work at home and at the studio with a sense of peace and flexibility. I have been able to help provide stability and normalcy in a time of uncertainty, both with my presence and with a greater sense of pride and accomplishment as my dream of being an working artist has become a reality.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My mother was a high school art teacher. I grew up watching her prepare for her lesson plans. I fell in love with Picasso, Modigliani, Chagall, de Kooning, Van Gogh, and many others at a very young age. I remember countless nights flipping through stacks of Mom’s students’ sketchbooks, comparing different attempts at still life’s and self portraits. It was my mother that sent me a random care package of paints and canvas boards while I was studying philosophy at college. I painted all that weekend and brought my first pieces home for critique at the next opportunity. I did not consider my self an artist right away. My first love was music. I had a band from the time I was 14 and music is a huge part of my life still. The language I learned exploring music, (call and response, theme and variation, tone and texture…) is the vocabulary with which I speak about my paintings today.

I paint most often in a flat modernist style that draws heavily from Cubism and Abstract Expressionism. My paintings are vibrant and textured, with elements of collage and mixed media. In the stillness of the flat picture plane I am often attempting to produce an illusion of movement, or sound and vibration.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, you gotta see the High Museum. The most recent Picasso/Calder exhibit is stunning and makes connections between the two artists that I didn’t know existed. The permanent collection is awesome, and there is a marble sculpture on view called the Veiled Rebekah, by Giovanni Maria Benzoni, that is spectacular. The artist is able to make solid stone appear translucent and flowing. Next, we need to see some loud rock n roll. Dancing in time with complete strangers and friends to new sounds at blistering volumes is good for community building. I suggest the EARL in East Atlanta or the Star Bar in Little Five.

Then, we just come hang out in my neighborhood. Grant Park is glorious all year long, but the fall is something special. Hit the Farmers Market on Sunday morning. Then come on to my studio at The Beacon. From there we can walk to two different breweries and some of my favorite food in the city. Don’t sleep on Margueritte”s Jerk Bistro, Baker Dude, Buteco or Patria Cocina. They are all charming and delicious.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Wife, Audrey Morrison, is the most thoughtful and creative person that I know. She is a sculptor, stone carver, and jewelry designer. She can make anything out of anything else. She is my biggest fan, my harshest critic, and my best friend. She has put up with many years of art projects strewn about our home. She has been patient as I have somehow been able to get paint and chalk and oil pastel on nearly all of our furniture, most of my clothes, some of hers, and our dog. It was Audrey that found the studio space that I now cherish. It was Audrey that suggested we rent it. It is her, that continues to encourage me and to be patient with me.

Website: Www.ibletstudio.com

Instagram: @ibletstudio

Facebook: IBLet

Image Credits
Photo of me standing in front of the outdoor mural – India Jade.