Meet the Artist: Spectrum Miami Spotlight Recipient Briana Fitzpatrick

Q: Introduce yourself — who you are and what your vision as an artist is?

A: Hi! My name is Briana Fitzpatrick. I am a multidisciplinary artist who loves to dance, flip, contort, and paint all at the same time. I know it sounds wild and my paint-splattered floors and walls would agree. However even when I’m painting while hanging upside down and spinning from the ceiling, it’s in creative outbursts like those when I feel most alive and present at the moment. I have a deep desire to capture the dynamic beauty of energy and movement to bring people art that is created in ways to inspire them to express who they are and encourage them to pursue their dreams. Because when we do and express what we love most, we not only shine brighter but so does our world.

Q: What is your background?

A: I grew up training in dance, gymnastics, archery, martial arts, and aerial arts. However, dance was (and still is) one of my greatest passions. I was 17yrs old when I pursued my professional dance career until the lockdown happened. During that time I was hungry to find another creative outlet and in 2021 I decided to take a leap of faith and dive wholeheartedly into becoming a full-time artist.

I commonly get asked, “when and why did you start painting upside down in a headstand or handstand with your feet?”  And actually, that idea sparked in me within the first month I began painting. I was watching an online tutorial and the instructor recommended that if you ever struggle with painting proportions accurately, then flip your painting upside down with my gymnastics background I thought to myself “hmmm, why don’t I just flip myself upside down instead?” So I grabbed my canvas, set it on the ground leaning up against a wall, put paint on my feet, flipped into an elbowstand, and began painting!  It was so much fun for me to be using my other backgrounds of training to create my work and that’s when I knew I couldn’t just paint standing up anymore.

Q: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

A: My work philosophy consists of two main points:

-Use creativity and art to bring more light, love, and liveliness into this world while inspiring others to live their life wholeheartedly with passion and joy.

-Always be a student, meaning to continually take enthusiastic interest in learning, experimenting, growing and developing my skills not only in my art, but in all areas of my life.

Q: What artist(s) inspire you?

A: This is a great question and can be tricky to answer since there are so many artists that inspire me in multiple ways, but I will say my top 5.

Mikael Brandrup – practically love all of his work, from his use of colors to geometry to the freeness and boldness he expresses, and how diligent of a worker he is in pursuing his dreams and goals is all very inspiring to me.

L 7 Matrix – his work is amazing! His level of skill with spray paints and use of large scale in his art is remarkable.

Nick Bultman – his abstracts blow me away each time he creates one. I love the movement and use of creating glowing light effects he captures through his work.

Eric Robitaille – his work is simply beautiful to me. I really like how he puts a variety of textures in his work and how he captures the peaceful yet strong expressions on animals’ faces.

Jodie King – her vibrant, enthusiastic energy is always inspiring to me.  She doesn’t like to let anything hold her back. 

Q: What is the best advice you’ve received?

A: Another great question, I believe one of the best pieces of advice I received although these aren’t the exact words, but more of the message behind it is “You need to love and care for yourself first like you are caring for someone in your life that you love.  So that way you can not only flourish and pour more of your love wholeheartedly into all that you do but into those whom you love as well.”

Q: When you are not working, where can we find you?

A: You can probably find me in the dance studio, gym, or outside on a walk, run, or playing with my puppy.

Q: What does exhibiting at Spectrum Miami 2022 mean to you?

A: Ever since I first heard about it back in October of 2021, I knew I wanted to show in it and made it my goal.  So I continued to develop my work, and submitted my application in the early summer, and in about a week after submitting I received a phone call saying I have been accepted to show my art at Spectrum!  I was super excited (and actually still am) I still vividly remember the day I got the phone call, I was sitting on my family’s big tractor, getting to mow the fields when my phone rang. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity and look forward to meeting many people, artists, art lovers, the Miami community, and experiencing all of the inspiration Miami has to offer.