Frankie Nicole (Porter) BROWN

I am often asked the question "When did you start doing art?" The answer is an easy one, I was never not doing art. I grew up in a family of artists. My great grandmother was a painter and had easels and oil paints all over her house. She painted birds, landscapes, and ships that were coming to harbor. Her sons went on to become artists, whether by trade or just a hobby, and included photography, woodworking, or painting. My mother would never call herself an artist, but she is. She did lots of painting projects while I was growing up. She would use the wood from the karate exhibitions that my brother and I participated in to make her work, as well as any other scrap wood she could find. She was also always doing something creative, whether it was painting on the walls of our house, making mosaics, or coloring in books with us as children.  She and my father both encouraged the arts in our family. My father worked at a paper mill, so there was always a supply of cardboard for my brother and me to draw on. We spent our free time scribbling away at the seemingly endless supply of paper. 

I went on to study art at the University of Georgia. I earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Art Education from the Lamar Dodd School of Art. I taught elementary art for six years in Lincoln County, and then moved up to the middle and high school. I have been teaching Art 1-4, Advanced Drawing and Painting, AP art and 7th Grade Connections since 2018.

I love that I get to share my passion with young and eager minds. It is sometimes hard for me to understand that not all children grow up in an environment that I did, with art being around them all the time. It is a goal of mine to remedy that. I am glad that I get the opportunity to share not only the different techniques of art, but also that art has a way of connecting people around the world. Through the study of art history, aesthetics, art making, and art critiquing I hope that my students are able to freely express themselves, expand upon other subject areas, learn about different cultures, and become well-rounded members of society. I am TRULY blessed. I have a job that combines two of my greatest passions: art and people.  

When I am not in the classroom, I am usually making art. I am asked all the time what my favorite medium is, and honestly, its a hard question to answer. I think that is why I chose art education in the first place, I got to play with a little bit of everything! I mainly work in acrylics, but I also love watercolors and pastels. I love throwing on the wheel, or handbuilding something out of clay. I also really love when I am a part of the whole process- from start to finish: making the paper that I then paint on or turn into a journal. If its making, I like it.

Whether it is a painting of free expression, a house, a wedding, or a person, I love sharing my creativity with others. If there is something that you are interested in, please don't hesitate to contact me!

​These days, I am usually creating art with a precious little girl at my feet, or in the wee hours of the night when she is asleep. I am excited to see her creative little mind grow. When I am not creating art, I can be found chasing little Winnie B around, sipping a strong cup of coffee, or working on our 1920's home with my husband, Scott, little fur baby Finn, and cat Frida Pickles.