The CB Dahlia Shop.

The summer after 8th grade I was introduced to the amazingly talented and sweet as can be Casi Brown when we both made it onto the high school dance team. So many of my high school memories include Casi and our other dance team friends. One fun fact about Casi is that she was born on Valentine's day, how cool is that?! I wanted to share Casi's story of how she became an artist with you today as she was kind enough to answer some questions for me.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Casi Brown.  I’m from Coos Bay, Oregon.  I received my B.A. in Art from the University of Oregon, focusing in sculpture, photography and lithography.  I then received my Master of Arts in Teaching and became certified as an Art Teacher.  I am spending this year volunteering in AmeriCorps as a tutor and focusing on my Esty site which I opened in August.   

When did you know/what made you decide to become an artist?

My sophomore year of college I was still an undeclared major trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  I had always thought about taking art classes in college, but I was from a small town and though people were always supportive of my art I wasn’t sure how I would match up in a college art class.  I was walking through campus one day and I passed Lawrence Hall, the Architecture and Allied Arts building, and just decided to go for it.  I signed up for my first art classes and knew I had made the right choice.  There wasn’t anything else that interested me the way that art does.  If you love something, you’ll make it work.    

  

You work in so many mediums, do you have a favorite? (and why/why not)

I like to switch it up a lot.  It can get monotonous working with the same materials all the time.  I would say that sculpture is my favorite medium.  There are so many choices of material- clay, wood, found objects, fabrics, metals. I love being able to get my hands into the materials I’m working with and feeling the form take shape. 

Your work is very eclectic, is your brain flooded with all kinds of ideas or where do you find inspiration?

I get inspiration from so many different things- nature, the human form, past experiences, and everyday objects.  An idea will come to me and I’ll think about it for a while.  Sometimes I will sketch out ideas other times I’ll just jump into a project.  The idea really takes shape as I start to work with material.  The final form is rarely what I imagined it would be when I started.  That’s what I love about art; it’s a process of experimentation and change.   

Thanks so much, Casi! I think your art is amazing and so unique.

Check out Casi's Etsy shop & go say hi to her on facebook!