From the Series Revised Inheritance (detail)
2009
watercolor on paper
16" x 16"
What medium do you use?

Watercolor, Gouache, Graphite, Colored Pencils, Acrylic Inks



How has your artistic practice changed since you first began making art?

(...at SFAI?)

The studios were unbearably cold when I first moved to San Francisco. So I converted to working smaller because I didn't want to move away from my space heater! I wouldn't say that I ever painted huge before, but now the little details keep me focused.



What is your favorite artwork by another artist?

The Farmer's Kitchen by Ivan Albright



What kind of space do you think is the proper home for your artwork?

The Smithsonian: When I’m dead, there will be a retrospective of my body of work chronicling my influence on the post-modern art movement along with the greats before me.

Just kidding (sorta).

I'd hope somebody would at least want to put one of my paintings above their couch or in their bedroom above the dresser drawers (but not in the bathroom). Though I do truly strive for my work to fit into the museum/gallery context somehow or circulate in public spaces -- like elevator lobbies and office waiting rooms!



What are some challenges you constantly face in your practice?

Other than time and money, I think I struggle the most with confidence ...the fear that the work won't be understood or "accepted." It takes a long time for me to complete work, so sometimes it's difficult to picture the end result or even figure out what comes next and where.



When are you most productive?

Usually after 10pm until the early morning hours (when it's appropriate to blast J.Lo and 'Glee' tunes).

Coloring books emerged in the United States as part of a process to democratize art. Regardless of students' background, educators concluded that they could benefit from art education as a means of enhancing their understanding of the tangible as well as developing their cognitive abilities - improving skills beneficial to their growth into respectable Americans. Within the boundaries of these books, the concept of normative family behavior is conveyed to generations of youth. Emulating the coloring book structure my work investigates the emotional, relational, and mnemonic aspects of the American familial ideal.

Through a controlled perversion of these seemingly safe environments, I invite the viewer to question the intent behind an ideal American existence.

Born in Maui, Hawaii, Brooke received a BFA from the University of Hawaii Manoa, and is currently an MFA candidate at the San Francisco Art Institute.