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Hi Friends,

Welcome to the April edition of Work in Progress, brimming with updates, inspiration, and insights.

As the world awakens to the vibrant hues of spring, Alaska was stuck in a 3rd, 4th and 5th winter. We’re finally returning to sunnier days and rapidly melting snow, but it sure took a long time to get here.

The show opens Friday, May 3, 2024 at Roaming Root, now located on College Road.

If you follow me on social media, you know that I had been slowly working away at a massive commission that had completely taken over my studio. A substantial 30x40 inches, the piece was over a year in the works.

While it didn’t take me THAT long to paint it, it did require frequent hiatuses due to various other deadlines. And, I was terrified of it. It was an immense challenge and that scared me; I was scared to start, scared to keep going, scared to f*ck it up when I started to love it… but that’s what art is about — the journey of bringing something to life from the vision in my head.

It was also the first time I painted on stained wood, a special request from the recipient, and I absolutely loved it! I can see myself exploring this more for my own work in the future.

I loved getting lost in the details of this piece. I didn’t keep a solid track of hours spent on it, but I did listen to all 62 hours of the Sherlock Holmes books while I painted, and several of the Cormac Reilly series by Dervla McTeirnan while I inked (funny story, I couldn’t hold my water bottle for two days after all that inking!)

I’m so happy to say that it has been delivered to its forever home. And, commissions are open, if you don’t mind a bit of a wait!

Okay, I’m not a football fan, but I know the name Deion Sanders from our CA-days and being from a family of 49ers fans. I bring this up because Jay Clouse (Creator Science Podcast) mentioned this quote in one of his recent episodes:

I resonated with this because, like Jay, I have always believed that I would make this art-thing work. I always assumed that I would succeed, I just had to figure out how. And it looks different than what I thought, but the point is that I BELIEVED.

Believing in yourself is powerful. I hope you believe in you.

For the first time, I was able to be a juror for the UAF Student Art Show this weekend. It was inspiring  to see all the new talent that is emerging in our city, and it was a truly meaningful experience for me.

Fairbanks is well-known for its vast pool of artists and creators. We are fortunate that so much beauty can come from the winter darkness, and thrive all year long. Visitors and transplants alike always comment on how diverse our art scene is, and how supportive our community is of such artists and makers.

So, I was surprised and moreover disappointed to see that AI-generated “artwork” was recently used to promote a well-known community fundraiser.

I was able to have a few conversations about it, and while I learned that the decision to use AI art was not an intentional exclusion of local artistry, I am glad that it did make some waves in the artist community and has inspired a new direction for this fundraiser next year.

But, it’s a valuable opportunity to remind our local business and organizations to support and promote local artists whenever possible. I stand with the artists and creators. AI-created “art” is not welcome here.

We have locals artists of just about medium in every career stage, from students to “sourdough” professionals. Such a network provides a wide range of price points, which would allow any business or organization to find the right artist for their budget.

There are also community-engaging opportunities to incorporate local art for business or organization events, like logo or poster contests.

Alternatively, many companies find a “feature” artist for a year, which not only gives many artists the opportunity to work with them, but becomes a collectible item for the community as a whole.

Whether you host a contest or seek a feature artist, such opportunities are tremendous resume-builders, particularly for new or emerging artists.

If you’re in a position to support the local arts over AI, I encourage you to do so, and I would be more than willing to have that conversation with you!

Thank you for giving me space in your inbox. Stay creative!

Your friend,

Brianna Reagan

P.S. If this email ever turns into a burden, I encourage you to unsubscribe – no hard feelings here.

P.S.S. I’ve updated my society6 shop – check it out!