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 taught  Art 1-4, Advanced Drawing and Painting, AP art, as well as middle school art for eight years. I recently resigned to be a stay-at-home artist mom. 

I am excited, albeit a little nervous, to take this leap of faith and pursue my art full time. I realized after having Winnie that I can't expect her to chase her dreams if I don't do it myself. Motherhood-- it wrecks you in so many ways! 

I have been told, I have read, and I have been counseled to "pick a niche." I sat with that for quite a while and ruminated on what I wanted to focus on, and I was left stumped every time. I think that is one of the reasons why I loved being an art teacher-- I could play in all of it. 

I finally decided that I am the ultimate decision maker here and I am choosing to chase after what fuels my creative desires. One day, that might change. For now, I am a maker of things.
I paint. I play in dirt. I make paper. I bind books. I create jewelry. I print. I draw. 

Please follow along as I navigate this new chapter of my life. I am excited to see what kind of art I create, and how I can create art with my little one! 

 

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