We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandin Hurley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandin, how does your business help the community?
Pablo Picasso says “the meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”. I have always had an overwhelming impulse to create; it wasn’t until several years ago that I started considering how I could use that impulse to contribute to the world in some small way. Up until this point I had kept my environmental activism separate from my art; it seemed incredibly vulnerable to combine two things that felt so very personal to me. I am so glad that I decided to turn in this direction; using my art as a way to communicate with other people about our connection to the natural world has been the loveliest thing. This process not only draws attention to the environmental issues that I care deeply about, but allows me to spend much of my art-making time with nature. I get to call a walk in the woods inspiration, forage for dropped seed pods, and research mycelial networks. I am extremely grateful to spend my life wandering in the woods, making art that advocates for the woods themselves.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I want my art to be imbibed with soft change of light throughout the day. I want it to sound like clear river streams bubbling over rocks. I want it to feel like your bare feet padding over damp moss. I want it to smell like briny tidepools. I want looking at it to make you feel those moments of soft calm spent running your fingers over a soft stone at the beach or knelt in the mud to see a caterpillar up close. Maybe you haven’t done these things since you were a kid, or maybe you did them yesterday. I hope that my art reminds people of the value in these moments as well as the fragility of the ecosystems that provide them for us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Riding bikes on the lakeshore trail is my absolute favorite thing! You get to see the city change as you ride, stopping along the way when something catches your interest. I love eating lunch at Waterfont Cafe in Edgewater, stopping to walk in the grassy fields of the Montrose Bird Sanctuary and jump off the stone steps surrounding the Adler Planetarium into the lake. LaBagh Woods and Skokie Lagoon are also on my favorites list. In winter I love a cocktail and a game at Chicago Athletic Association or Guthrie’s Tavern.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family has always been extremely supportive of my desire to spend my life making art. My Dad would answer the phone at any inconvenient time and talk me through the latest impractical thing I was attempting to build. My mom must have spent her entire 30s inventing and prepping crafts for my sisters and me to make. And now my wonderful husband discusses, problem-solves, helps build, install, and generally supports me beyond reason. Being married to an extremely talented artist who happens to be my best friend makes my life and my art better in every way.

Website: www.brandinhurleystudio.com

Instagram: @brandin.hurley

Image Credits
Matthew Yee

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