Valerie C. Browne

In much of my practice, I seek to explore the idea of social isolation combined with visually loud and vibrant substances. My work investigates the inner and personal conflict between being an introverted individual, yet wanting to immerse oneself in “the party”. The core of my work is derived from my own struggles of attempting to exert a colorful, outgoing, and flashy persona yet feeling oversaturated by social and emotional anxieties.

The majority of my paintings are comprised of rendered portraiture and figurative still life with elements of deflated foil balloons, reflective party objects, and metallic materials. I enjoy making use of traditional oil painting techniques that are inspired by Old Master portraiture of the Baroque and Rococo period, as well as 17th century Dutch still life painting.

I also enjoy studying textures and materials within my practice, and several of my works utilize mediums outside of paints, such as glitter and gold leaf. Some of the garments painted within my portraits I have designed and assembled myself, which utilize discarded balloons and party materials and were inspired by costumes of the Rococo period.

BIO

Valerie C. Browne is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in Chicago, Illinois where she received her Bachelors in Fine Arts with a focus in painting and drawing in 2017. She has long been inspired by portraiture and still life of the Baroque and Rococo periods as well as traditional layering and painting techniques used by the Old Masters. Additionally, she often uses her own digital portrait photography and own life experiences to further inspire her works. Although oils are her primary medium of choice, she loves experimenting with other materials such as watercolor, gold leaf, glitter, and digital painting.

Her work has been published in SAIC’s Untitled magazine on campus, and she was selected to be part of All SHE Makes, a global online artist directory that fosters the visibility of women in the arts. Originally from the small town of Spring Grove, Illinois, she currently resides and works in Chicago. Outside of painting and drawing, she is a digital content marketer with skills in digital design, writing, and video content.