Brittany Finch’s pen and ink illustrations are inspired by a life lived among mountains. You’ll rarely find her attempting speed records on the trail, but rather moving slowly and whispering hello to the often unnoticed details around her; be that the subtle textures of a leaf, the shiny shell of a beetle, or the way the fur flows on a pika. In her home of Big Sky, MT people often come for exactly that — the big things, but Brittany Finch Art asks you to slow down, and appreciate the little ones too.
Brittany was added to the BlackStrap Artist Series from winning the Happy Little Art Contest in 2021. Since then, we have big plans for her illustrations featured in our upcoming Outdoor and Snow collections, as well as, the Rob Boss collection that is now available exclusively at BSBRAND.COM!
The Happy Little Art Contest Winning Submission
We wanted to share a little more about Brittany with these five questions that will give you a little insight into her work, inspirations, and life in Montana.
1. What inspires your work?
The intricacies found in the natural world. As someone who enjoys the thrill of skiing, mountain biking, and climbing, I find that slowing down to observe the endless details of those who call the landscape home dissipates the tendency to singularly view the outdoors as a playground. I hope my illustrations inspire others outdoors to take a moment to simply observe.
2. Preferred medium / art-making process?
My preferred medium is pen and ink. While I can achieve a higher level of detail with graphite, I enjoy each pen stroke's high contrast and finality. There is no going back after you put pen to paper.
Before I start a drawing, I research my subject; their habitat, movement patterns, physiology, life cycle, etc. All this information helps me better represent the life of the subject. While my drawings are by no means perfect representations of said lives, I want to be as true to the subject as possible.
3. Interests outside your art-making?
Skiing, biking, climbing, anything that gets me outside. I love the other “outdoors” as well; I love farms. I grew up riding horses, dreaming of the chickens my mom refused to get, chasing barn cats, and helping my parents in the garden. Do I have a green thumb? No, I'd say my thumb is resoundingly neutral-colored. I do have a few house plants that cling to life, and I volunteer at my local permaculture farm. I know the question you all want to ask, and the answer is yes, my house plants all have names: The Real Frank Sinatra and Mo Money, to list a couple.
Celebrating on the summit of Mount Baker
4. Favorite artist / makers / influences?
My brother is all the above. I had been putting off starting this small business for ages. Then, one day my brother provided the nudge I needed by saying, "As an artist, you'll most likely never think your stuff is good enough to offer to the world. But you just have to start anyways. Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your days believing you were never good enough." Go check him out at @jonathanwfinch.
5. Tips for aspiring artist/designers?
First, it will take a while to find your niche. The medium and style that keeps you coming back. I have so many dusty projects and supplies that I thought was "it." Be patient with yourself. Second, other people don't see all the "mistakes" you made. The process is yours alone. Others just get to see the culmination of your efforts and are rarely as harsh a critic as you. So, be brave and create.
Website: www.brittanyfinch.com
Instagram Handle: @britt.finch
