Nov 25, 20213 min read

078: Intersection: Brooke Cormier, Realist Painter

Updated: Dec 15, 2023

In the previous episode, I primed you, dear listener, for what’s to come in the following 17 episodes. I introduced you to the series, explained how it evolved and shared my creative process to uncover others’ creative processes. I described my feelings on growth, which I believe is an exciting part of the process. I am reminded that nothing stands still for too long and that’s a good thing and today’s guest agrees.

Allow me to officially introduce you to today’s guest: Brooke Cormier.

Brooke Cormier, born 1994, is a Canadian artist with a full-time career as a professional painter. She combines her love of photography with her passion for painting by referencing photos she takes from moments in her life, and bringing them to life, once again, on canvas. She aims to evoke positive emotions and reflection with her work through the use of thoughtful and calculated compositions and vibrant pigments to create a captivating atmosphere that draws you in in a style that reflects a relatable reality. Being entirely self-taught and at the beginning of her art career, Brooke is working towards exploring self-expression in different styles using her advanced technical skill-set.

In our conversation, Brooke and I discuss that there’s always more to learn, the importance of experimentation and the challenges of running a business as a creative.

Key Ideas Discussed:

Work constantly evolving
Work is always changing with new interests
There's always more to learn
Brooke's trying new techniques and styles all the time but sometimes they don't work and that's okay (Plein Air painting)
Experimentation (especially small paintings allow for this)
Living and working abroad
The importance of work/life balance; establishing personal boundaries
Brooke feels that she owes it to herself and to other aspiring painters to take advantage of the opportunity of painting full time
It was never shown to Brooke that being a painter was a viable career option (which is why she pursued something different in university)
There's no room for doubting herself
Feeling art all around her abroad
It's challenging to run a business
The challenges of art being in solitude; loneliness
The positive impact of a shared studio space on her productivity, mental health, schedule, boundaries
The power of artistic community; the benefits of seeing and learning from multi-disciplinary artists
The blessings and curses that comes with a large social media following, including having a microscope on her work, as well as trying not to let social media statistics dictate her art
Long term goals can change from month-to-month or even day-to-day (and that's okay!)

Among many insights gained, Brooke reminds us that no matter how incredible an artist you are, failure is part of the process. In the next episode we meet Inger, an advertising professional and Photoshop whiz, who shares Brooke’s feelings about the importance of trying new things and failing.