I have the pleasure of speaking with Brittany from her current residence in Orlando, Florida. Her voice is sunny with an edge that hints at the years she spent living in the Philly/NJ area. The geographic duality can also be seen in her work; she often draws ’round the way girls against backdrops of palm trees or tropical birds.
Brittany explains that she fell in love with the concept of art at a young age, but she never saw portraits of the type of women she considered the prettiest. She wanted to seen portraits of women who looked like the roommates on the sitcom Living Single or best friends Pam & Gina from the sitcom Martin.
Since she couldn’t find the artistic images she was looking for, she decided to create them herself. Brittany holds her artwork dear to her heart – in fact, she calls the portraits she draws her “girls”. It’s not a girls only club, however, she draws men as well. Her “guys” embody the same 90’s afrocentric vibes; they are usually bearded, bespectacled or dreaded. Think Shazza Zulu from A Different World.
Despite the strong nostalgia for the 90’s, her work also reflects contemporary themes. Brittany’s Black Lives Matter drawing went viral which resulted in the bittersweet sting of social media success. While she enjoyed the exposure, new followers and opportunities to connect with fellow artists; she wasn’t feeling the blatant racism, unsolicited critiques and demanding “recommendations” about what she should be drawing.
“Did it make you want to quit?”, I ask.
She pauses and then responds with a gentle confidence, “I’ve got thick skin, I wasn’t really bothered by it”.
Brittany says that Instagram is the social media platform that served as her launch pad. Once she committed to posting her artwork on a consistent basis, she began growing by leaps and bounds as an artist. At one point she was producing so much artwork that she began to feel like a “factory” (in a good way), hence the name of her online shop Zola Arts Factory.
“So, did you ever have any formal art training?” I ask.
“Nah, not really” Brittany chuckles and then goes on to explain “I did take one class in high school, but I failed it. The teacher said I wasn’t doing it right”.
Brittany goes on to explain that she is mostly self taught, and that she considers the Internet to be her classroom. She credits artists like Action Hank Beard and Markus Prime for being strong inspirations behind her work.
“I always get asked why I only draw Black people”, Brittany makes the statement as if she anticipates that I was going to ask the question. I hadn’t planned on asking the question, but her statement made me curios so I continued the conversation.
“So, what are your thoughts about that?”, I ask.
“I don’t know if it will always be that way, but for now I paint what I know best. Maybe it will change in the future. We’ll see”.
Brittany has an air of calm confidence – she’s proud of what she’s accomplished so far and humbly excited about everything she wants to learn and achieve in the future. One of her goals is to paint a huge urban mural of her “girls and guys”. She definitely has the talent to do so.
Her social media feeds are not all about art, they are also sprinkled with selfies that showcase her distinctive personal style. Art definitely imitates life. It’s always interesting to see what she will wear next. Regardless of what she’s wearing, you’ll most likely find Brittany with braids or extensions in her hair…and bamboo earrings, at least two pair.
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Multi-faceted Designer, Creative Director & Founder of SCOTCHBONNET! Accessories