By definition, art is described as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. This will be displayed at Arts on the Trail on Saturday at sites across Elliot Lake.
Curtis Brownell, a local artist, will be displaying his artwork for the public to admire and so they can ask questions about his pieces as he is one of the youth artists involved in the show.
Born and raised in Elliot Lake, Brownell said he didn’t really notice his passion for art until right before he entered high school at Elliot Lake Secondary School.
“I first got interested in drawing before entering high school,” he said. “I was mainly interested in drawing people’s faces.”
Instead of being inspired by one person, Brownell said he became much more motivated to continue practicing his passion after what he saw was possible with his art from his high school art teacher.
“I can’t remember being inspired by only one person at that time, but I do remember being motivated to practice more when I saw what was possible from the skills my art teacher possessed.”
With friends and family supporting his dream, Brownell attended Cambrian College in Sudbury to pursue a diploma in Fine Arts and has recently graduated at the tender age of 21.
Art can be portrayed in many ways, such as sculptures, ceramics, photography, painting and drawing. To help Brownell express his sentiments, he uses drawing and painting methods.
“The art I do focuses around people, specifically the individuality that a person can possess,” he explained. “The way I paint a subject is dependent on the characteristics that the person may have. I like giving the viewers an idea of who the subject may be and the story that surrounds them.”
When asked what he loves most about art, he expressed that he enjoys the process of creating an original piece.
“Whenever I work on art, I get to explore the materials I use to create, as well as the freedom to make my own decisions for the final result,” he said. “I’d say the process of creating something for myself is what I love the most.”
Arts on the Trail isn’t the first time he has had works of art displayed for public viewing. Back in July, along with fellow Cambrian College graduate Haley Cassio, Brownell had pieces at Artists on Elgin as part of the Emerging Artist program.
“I am most interested in developing pieces that integrate the subject’s own personality and identity through various colour schemes, textures, line work, and expression,” he said, back in July.
What he hopes to come out of the exhibit this weekend is for his name to be known in the art community.
“I mainly hope to get my name around the art community, as well as meeting and talking with people at the show who share similar interests to myself,” he said.
As for advice for young artists like himself and for someone new to the art scene, Brownell advises not to worry about the end product, but to focus on their project at the present moment.
“If I had any advice for someone new to creating art, I think I would tell them to worry less about the final outcome of their work and instead focus more on enjoying the process of creating.”