Welcome!
Hi! I’m Brigid. I’m a full-time professional artist (that’s a sentence that would blow the mind of my twelve-year-old self).
I'm not great at writing these kinds of get-to-know-me bios, so I figured I'd just answer some frequent questions I get asked. If you've got a question for me, get in touch.
Did you go to art school?
Well, it's a bit of a yes and no situation for me. I actually got a scholarship offer to the Corcoran School of Art, but unfortunately, I couldn't afford it even with the scholarship. So, instead, I went to community college for a while and also attended the Maryland College of Art and Design. Although I didn't end up graduating with a degree, I had some awesome professional artists in my family while growing up. My step-great-grandfather, George Bockius, was a huge influence on my artistic development as a kid. My parents were supportive too, and I got to take private art classes as a child, where I learned all about watercolor, oils, acrylic, and more. Unfortunately, after years of traditional painting, I developed some nasty sensitivities to the chemicals, so I had to switch to digital art for the sake of my health. Learning digital art was a process of taking online classes, reading books, and tons of practice. In 2016, I became a Corel Painter* Master, which was pretty cool.
So, how did you get started?
Well, I began my career as a graphic designer using Corel Draw and Adobe Photoshop. I designed stuff for websites and print media, all while pursuing my fine art on the side. Eventually, I discovered the world of art licensing and realized I could make use of my graphic design skills to create fine art that would appeal to a broader market. I try to create diverse collections of art that cover various styles and subjects while keeping up with trends and maintaining a consistent appeal. And you know what? Here I am, twenty years later, with a successful art licensing career.
You're probably wondering how I actually make money, right?
Well, I earn a living as an artist by having a diverse range of styles and themes in my artwork and by selling it in various ways.
First and foremost, I license my art to manufacturers. Basically, companies that make things like jigsaw puzzles, diamond dot kits, calendars, cross-stitch patterns, jewelry, clothing, home decor, and more, pay me to use my designs on their products. This is where the majority of my business comes from.
But that's not all! I also sell my work on my Etsy shop. I've partnered with a professional printer to create awesome stuff like t-shirts, zipper pouches (perfect for tarot bags), coffee mugs, wall art, shirts, kitchen stuff, and tote bags. When you buy from my Etsy shop, these items are drop-shipped right to your doorstep.
*Corel Painter is a digital painting program for PC and Mac. It’s the first digital painting program I fell in love with. I now exclusively paint in Procreate on iPad.
