Brittany Ferns
Newcastle-based artist Brittany Ferns creates wistful paintings, which encapsulate feelings of nostalgia, intrigue and mystery through heavy texture and dream like palettes.
Words: Holly Terry I Photography: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
‘I can be inspired by the shape and colour or texture of a rock or shell, the peeling paint and colours of a wall. People doing everyday things, like a street vendor selling fruit or an old man selling flowers. I photograph and sketch these things. I write notes and always have a drawing pad with me,’ says Brittany Ferns. Photo: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
Wish you were here by Brittany Ferns.
‘[I am proud] that I am doing what I love. And that I have been able to support my family for the last few years as an artist and take us on an amazing year away and continued to paint along the way, even with all the obstacles,’ says Brittany Ferns. Photo: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
‘I took some time off saying “yes”’ to everything and worrying that any missed opportunity would be a crucial error in my very early career. It has given me space to think about the work I want to put out into the world,’ says Brittany Ferns. Photo: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
Self-taught painter Brittany Ferns’ work has moved from strength to strength in recent years. Whether they’re pastel seascapes or portraits, which hint to Spanish influence and exotic nostalgia (perhaps an ode to her Uruguayan heritage on her mother’s side), her works are inimitable and entirely unique.
Previously a graphic and textile designer, Ferns initially didn’t think being an artist was professionally viable. ‘If I had known [being an artist was possible], I would have gone straight down that path from school. But everything has a way of working out and I am sure the past has shaped my work as it is today,’ she says.
Although feminine and delicate, her wistfully romantic paintings are matched by a textural strength, gritty and layered as if they themselves are artefacts which hold a long history. For Brittany, this texture is deeply anchored in her work and serves as a constant source of inspiration. ‘Textures will always be my biggest source of inspiration and whenever I move in one direction and am not feeling like it is quite right, I go straight back to just wanting to focus on how to manipulate paint, textures and materiality.’
Her works encapsulate this kind of duality of mystery and nostalgia; a dreamy, pastel seascape that has the appearance similar to that of an old postcard, or a muse from another time, another place.
The artist describes a Wabi Sabi philosophy and vision as a source of intrigue for her as the beauty in imperfections, and the impermanence of our existence, ‘I want my work to feel worn with age, soft textures and worn edges, fragile, with a yearning to take a closer look, but in contrast my work can also be quirky and bright.
“I still feel like I’m continuing to explore my style – I am in between what I expect myself to create, and that leap of faith of creating something new and different.”
Little Orange Pot by Brittany Ferns. Photo: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
Siren and the Sand by Brittany Ferns. Photo: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
Portrait from Mexico City 2 by Brittany Ferns. Photo: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
Little Lemon Pot by Brittany Ferns. Photo: Courtesy of Brittany Ferns
This year, the Ferns family of four travelled to Los Angeles, followed by Mexico, where they spent the last eleven months living out of a camper van. For Brittany, this move was exactly what she needed and has served as an avenue of inspiration – from the sandy beaches of Baja, the peeling of paint from a brightly coloured wall or the street vendors selling fruit or flowers.
‘There was a sense of freedom and ease in Mexico. It has taught me to not take things so seriously and let go a little. I did a course in Mexico City, all about creating textures – I have lots of new materials to experiment with.’
‘Every day has been different, and every week has been a new adventure. I haven’t done as much painting this year as I would have liked or envisioned before leaving, but I have been inspired beyond measure,’ she adds.
An excitement looms for Brittany as she heads back into Australia with the plans to ground herself in a new studio in Tighes Hill. So far, she will be showing in two solo exhibitions and a joint show throughout 2023 at Greenhouse Interiors, Victoria, Grainger Gallery, Canberra and Wester Gallery in Newcastle.