Interview with Aeron Brown

What made you decide to become an Artist? 

when did you start?

 

At the passing of my father at a young age, I submersed myself in his sketches, lyrics and creativity.My father was an artist. As any son does, I wanted to connect with my father in the very few ways I knew how. I began drawing and sketching as a child and created comics and illustrations in High school with many awards. But I just started painting for a living about 4 years ago after abandoning my gifts to be a minister in a church. I thought I had to abandon them to be a minister, but now I have learned it was my gifts that God wanted me to use all this time to minister to His people.

 

 

 

Do you have any formal training?

 

I have no formal training besides art classes taken in high school.

 

Whereabouts are you based?

 

I have based my art out of Redlands, CA for the last 4 years but I currently live in Banning CA. In Southern California.

 

Do you work from a Studio? 

describe your working environment?

 

 

I work out of a studio I built in my garage. But over the years I have found any place worthy. I have set up in the back room of Augie's Coffee house in Redlands Ca or in a bathroom in the back of my home, my kitchen, dinning room. I like to paint where ever my wife is hanging out or where my children can't interrupt. I have 3 beautiful children 7 years and younger...BUT I DECIDED I WILL WORK WHERE EVER I AM ABLE... "TO MAKE ART LESS I DIE!" I was desperate. My wife was the first person who encouraged me to paint by buying me canvas's, brushes and paints.

 

Do you work from a Studio? describe your working environment?

 

The environment I now have is full of light and windows over looking mountains and skies with walls filled with peg board to hang art and tools, cool vintage frames, crates and shelves full of books for collage, with two easel’s and a lot of space to work.

 

Do you paint Live? tell us about this?

 

I also paint "live paintings" with musicians at performances or shows, church worship gatherings, church events, fund raisers, parties, art shows ext... I set up my easel and paints and work off of a wood panel or canvas.There is something magical about watching an artist create from nothing, it will stop a person in there tracks and pull them in to a story, emotional encounter or in my case, the viewers have had many encounters with God.Like the atheist who came to a meeting doubting God and after watching me paint a spontaneous painting led by Holy spirit was convinced I was painting the atheists down syndrome brother in whom he held a grudge with... but was led during the painting to forgive his brother and see with new eyes about his relationship with him and then and there convinced him that God must be real... Artists are story tellers and catalysts to inspiration and change.I've been seeing many chose to follow Christ in  a new way or for the first time through watching the live paintings and commission paintings.

 

 

 

 

         

                                                                        

 What Mediums do you prefer to work in?

 

I prefer to work with acrylic paints, gold inks, acrylic texture pastes and collage scraps from old vintage books, sheet music, hymnals, vintage magazines, vintage children's illustrations, bible pages,

 

vintage reprints of newspapers from 1920's - 1970's, pages from my own journals, buttons, and old greeting cards .

 

 

What would you say the style of your work is?

 

I don't know if there is a name to the style I do but you might call it contemporary mixed media on gallery rap art deco frames. Many have said I am a "Inspirational, spiritual artist" or a "vintage indie artist".

 

If at all how has your art training influenced you in what you do now?

 

I haven't had any formal training, my training comes from trial and error, from containing the chaos of scraps and paint. Learning from the community around me.

 

What Inspires you?

 

I'm inspired by Light in this season of my work in a huge way. I'm inspired by vintage things, old things, photographs, scriptures, poems, children, indie artists on etsy.com,artists onsociety6.com, trees, sunrise,sunset,angels,Jesus,birds,crowns and flowers. people I admire are Scott Erickson of Vox painting, Shawn Boltz of E58, Akiane Kramarik and countless people in my community and on the web that I might not even know the names of.

 

 

If there was a colour that would describe your vision what would it be?

 what is your vision?

 

 

 

My vision is to create stories through my artwork that will speak to the viewer past the surface deep into their emotions and into their soul by the power of the Spirit of God bringing them to a relationship with God in a new way. I don't normally ever tell people that because I am kind of an undercover artist most times that shows in coffee shops, bars, art fairs, museums, galleries that aren't spiritual in any way. But I want to make what I do available to all but not preachy or cheesy but with high quality and palatable to

all ages, rich or poor.

I don't think there is any one color that would describe what I do.

 

 

Do you have a favourite colour?

 

                                                   

 

I don't have a favorite color, I tend to use and enjoy all

                                                 of them. I am enjoying the use of golds and earthy colors  

                                                   and deep reds, tarneshed washes, oaky stains over vibrant reds and yellows and blues.

 

 

                                                                  

 

How does God influence your work?

 

The way God has influenced my work seems all encompassing through the years. In 2008 I was at a meeting with a well known prophetic minister who spoke over me that my art and music would make it. I wasn't looking particularly artsy that day, I was coming to the conference in my handy man clothes all sweaty and tired so I was surprised this word came. I had also given up on my gifts to be a prayer leader and worship leader, but this word seemed to validate me in my gifts and drew me away from my day job into full time artwork as my job . Over the last 5 years or so we have seen countless miracles, signs and wonders, salvation, inner healing, deliverance from depression, hope,  inspiration, countless other artists raised up to create and there has been testimony after testimony of God using my artwork . I expect even more to come. On another note, when I go to paint, I spend a lot of time waiting for the inspiration of Holy Spirit to fill my soul. I will worship God while playing my guitar and often I will receive images during worship that inspire me. I don't paint every image I see but I do paint the ones I feel could be received well in the venues I show in. I could say a lot more about that but I will just say yes, I am very influenced by my relationship with God.

 

Some of your work looks like you have seen into different realms, would you say you were a seer and do you have visions?

 

I have had people call me a "seer" a few times, or a "prophetic artist". I do see images in my mind very often, some may call those visions. I try to stay away from those titles depending on the community I am around because not many understand those terms, so I often say ," I see pictures in my mind that God seems to be communicating to me" or "I receive revelations that impact my work". Because the words "prophetic" or "seer" can seem a little creepy to some.

 

How do you keep your creativity flowing, what things do you do?

 

 

I keep creativity flowing by not staying in one place to long, I go on the internet, find it at church , community, family, my wife very often, music, from lonely broken people in bars and the streets or in worship when I am alone with Daddy God, as I call Him.

 

 

 

Have you had exhibitions? can you share about one of the most memorable?

 

I have exhibitions very often at least a couple every month. My most memorable showings are the ones that I get to meet people , pray with people or listen to people about how the artwork affects them. Often I will not share much about my faith in some places, because I won't have to,God will speak way more to the hearts of individuals through the paintings. I love hearing the miracles. One time at a coffee shop, a woman bought a small painting of a bird, this bird had broken chains around its feet. The painting spoke volumes to the woman's life being that she was coming out of some confined moments in life. Months later I received info that my painting was a turning point in her life. The painting became a sign post to her freedom!. This story resemble countless others that stick out in my mind of what God has done through the artwork.

 

 

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?

Do you have any advice for other  Artists?

 

I see myself a lot more present in social media, galleries, art communities and in preparation to take my artwork nation wide to fill homes all over the nation and the world. I would love to be as influential as Thomas Kinkade in my own way of painting the "light" in years to come. I want to gather more artists to inspire them in the faith and empower them to run into their callings. I currently host an event of over 25 artists and musicians in Redlands, California every three months called "ART IN THE ALLEY". We are in our 5th season. People gather in an old historic alley way next to Augie's Coffee Shop. People sell their work and have been inspired to possibly open a new art galley within our community. We want to dream big and do the little things in love that come around our path.We do want to open a school in the future but we are waiting for a building and the money for that at the moment. In our community there are many teachers, mother's and father's who desire to see a movement in our city emerge that would free people to do what they are created to do in the arts and spirituality in life. I would say to artists to dream bigger and do the little things it takes to get there, one step at a time. Enjoy the process, don’t stress out but enjoy the journey. Work hard at it. Don’t make the excuse that there isn’tenough time... I worked two jobs and painted every night for years before I was able to make it my way of income. Just have faith in your self. Artists are some of the most depressed people I know, but they don’t have to live like that. Shut out the lies about the starving artist mentality and enjoy what you’re created to do, and there will always be provision.

 

 

It's great to see creativity expands into other areas, would you like to also share a little about your music?

 

I also am a songwriter and musician working with an inspired group out of Redlands, California. We currently call our group "Aeron Razz Brown & Family". We will be releasing our first album through SOI Records from Arrowhead CA. We are an "Indie" contemporary folk band with group singing, acoustic guitars, percussion, pump organ, mandolin, banjo.

 

 

Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?

 

Do not be limited by this world, that creation needs a creator. Reach into what is available, The well of inspiration is never dry in heaven. Try new things all the time. Don’t let walls of style hinder the creative process. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Art is in anything and everything, so don’t let your self be boxed in.

Let your hand be guided, leave room for His (God’s) inspiration.The job of the artist is to wake up the viewer, tell a story, create images that will be burned into the mind.

Where can we find more info about you?

 

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ME, FIND ME @ THESE LINKS

 

AERON BROWN'S WEB SITE

My website is aeronbrown.com for more info

 

ART OF AERON BROWN ON FACEBOOK

here is a link to my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Aeron-Brown/215351751817207