Artist Stacey Brown

Artist Stacey Brown with his wife Michelle in his studio. (Photos by Isadora Pennington)

By Isadora Pennington

Leaning over a drafting table in the cozy attic studio at his home, artist Stacey Brown works quickly. Confident, bold brush strokes layer watercolors in quick succession across the page. Gradually, an image of a man begins to appear.

Brown has years of experience, and it is obvious that these compositions come naturally to him. Inspired by scenes he encounters in his daily life as he moves about through the Sandtown community where he lives, Brown’s works often feature individuals doing common, everyday tasks. Whether it’s reading a newspaper, going shopping, playing golf, or even just waiting for the bus, his abstracted compositions evoke feelings of familiarity and comfort.

“All of our walks and our lives are so common,” explained Brown. “To capture that into art and express it through colors, I find it pretty interesting. It allows me to connect with other people without even meeting them.”

Working mainly in watercolors and acrylics, Brown has been working as an independent artist full-time for about 22 years. He first got an insight into the reality of life as an artist in the late 90s when he worked as a graphic designer for another local artist. He saw firsthand that it was not only possible to make a living doing art but also that it could make a good life for him and his family.

Michelle, Brown’s wife, was a flight attendant for Delta when he first decided to pursue his art. Stepping away from her career to support her husband was a challenge, but together they have spent the years that followed building Brown’s passion into a viable career. Together they raised their two daughters, Alexis and Brianna, and put them through college with the proceeds from Brown’s art, a fact which is a point of pride for the family.

“This is my calling. I knew that from even being young in school, I never fit in with the academic side, I would always draw and paint while I was in class,” he laughed. “I made it through some kind of way. I knew it was my calling, that’s all I wanted to do.”

Several times during our interview Brown used the term ‘fluid’ to describe both his art style and the way he chooses to live his life. Stepping away from a desk job to pursue his passions has allowed him flexibility and freedom. It has enhanced Brown’s livelihood, his life, and the very foundation of his family. Michelle chimed in that Brown’s success relies not only on his inherent talent and passion for painting but also on his willingness to meet opportunity when it presents itself.

In addition to direct sales, Brown also leases his works for local television productions. You can spot his work in shows and movies such as Grand Army, New Amsterdam, Uncle Buck, For Life, Hawaii 5-0, The Odd Couple, the Unicorn, Bounce TV, Chicago PD, Our Kind of People, Home Alone 2, and Here Today. His clients include real estate professionals, commercial spaces, and private investors. He predominantly sells his works online through his Etsy store and Instagram direct sales, as well as at festivals where he is able to meet and connect with his audience face-to-face. It’s in those moments when Brown truly shines, his warm and inviting personality makes him easy to talk to and adds context to his work.

In addition to the serene figural works and landscapes, Brown also has an ongoing series that is rather unconventional: acrylic painted on broken glass. The body of work is called Broken is Beautiful, and it was inspired by his daughter accidentally stepping on one of his glass paintings and breaking it when she was a young child. Instead of throwing the shards away Brown glued them back together on a board. “It connects with us because we are all broken in some ways. We walk around carrying the situations that life brings us but it makes us stronger.”

Zoning out to the melodies of jazz, hip hop, and rap alike, he pours himself into each piece within the solitude of his cozy home studio. Music is important to Brown’s process. “A lot of times it will impact the outcome of my work. If I’m listening to rap it’s more of a high-energy music, it will change how my paintings work. When I listen to jazz, a calmer music, my strokes are more calm. It’s all energy, you know. Music is kind of the same energy as the brush strokes I put down.”

Michelle, Brown’s wife, handles his marketing and promotional support. Their daughter, who has a penchant for TikTok, helps with some of the social media. Brown has managed to remain a fully independent artist which allows him to retain control and negotiating power when accepting new clients. He creates what he wants when he wants, based solely on what moves him.

“I feel totally at peace with my art. When I’m painting. It takes me away from the outside world and all the craziness that’s going on.”

Brown’s works will be on display at Black Art in America in East Point starting on Sept. 3. The show, Still Here: April Harrison & Stacey Brown, will highlight works from his career spanning multiple mediums and subject matter. He is also currently working on a large project in Orlando called Our Colorful People. Measuring about 70 feet long on the side of a building, the large-scale printed aluminum work is an exciting challenge for Brown.