"Head Above Water" by Brett is acrylic on canvas. 30" W x 35" H.

Artist Statement:
"Juxtaposition: My hope for the artwork I create is to draw people into the moment. What you’ll witness in my work is my passion for contrast – light and shadow, abstract expressionism combined with realism, darkness and beauty, pain and healing. I believe the juxtaposition of these qualities is what creates beauty.

Art has the power to take us out of our task-filled minds that bounce back and forth between yesterdays and tomorrows. My goal is to draw people into the moment through my artwork. Creating helps me to stop and be in the present. There is immense value in being productive and busy, yet we owe it to ourselves to occasionally allow ourselves to be human beings, not just human doers.

I draw inspiration from a very strange and broad variety of different visual artists, musicians, and spiritual books/lessons. When I begin a painting, I start with a very general idea of what I want to create and go from there. Everything I create past this initial idea I decide during the painting process. I never have a complete idea of what I want to paint before I begin. I enjoy this style of process because it isn’t too strict or structured and leaves a lot of room for spontaneous inspiration. My favorite parts of my work I feel happen randomly and unplanned.

I hope you’ll witness in my work my passion for contrast – lights and shadows, abstract expressionism with realism, darkness and beauty, pain and healing. I believe a combination of these opposites is what creates energy and beauty."