Camille Brighten
In the Studio with Camille Brighten
I think I was born making art. However, I didn’t take an art class until I started college at age 39 and by 42 I was showing in galleries.
I paint with watercolor and acrylic, do photography and collage. Color is important to me because it always creates emotion. I believe an artist creates because they have to and it’s not just a choice.
What is your favorite season?
I love spring and fall. Spring brings joy from seeing new life emerge and migrating birds returning. Fall is always a relief from summer heat and before winter’s hibernation.
I don’t have a “studio”. I paint in my kitchen. Always have. Maybe because water is so accessible.
If you could cook one dish perfectly, what would it be?
I love to cook but not always a big success. The attempt is in the fun. I really wish I could make a perfect meatloaf. Mine never turns out like mom’s.
My least favorite part of the art process is always the ones that just don’t turn out. Sometimes, you can transform them and sometimes all you can do is say, Grrrrr!.
Saying that, my favorite part is those mistakes that take you in a new direction and create something special.
Who is another artist you admire and why?
My favorite painter is Artemisia Gentileschi. I don’t paint like her but I am in awe of her accomplishments. She had a lot of firsts for a woman artist and never let peers stop her.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The best piece of advice was “Life is what happens on the way to what you plan.” Life always has a twist and you have to just go with the new direction.
