Artist of the Month - Isobel Brigham

This month, we’re delighted to introduce Isobel Brigham as our Artist of the Month, a contemporary painter whose vibrant work explores nostalgia, memory, and the quiet familiarity of everyday life. Inspired by family photo albums and the moments that connect generations, Isobel transforms found photographs into bold, expressive paintings filled with warmth and colour. Through her distinctive use of pink underpainting, she captures the feeling of looking back while celebrating the joy of the present.

Q. Where have you found inspiration lately?

A. Lately I’ve found inspiration in the repeating moments of life, more specifically the inspiration has been found in my grandma’s photo albums. I am fascinated by the nostalgia we can feel for moments that aren’t directly our own, but are still moments we have experienced or share a connection to.

Q. Is there a piece of art or a project that you are particularly excited about right now?

A. I’m still really excited by the new painting series I launched at the start of the month titled, ‘Familiar’. I created 6 paintings for the series, which all centred around these repeating moments and the topic is something I’m excited to explore further and on a larger scale.

Q. What kinds of tools or references do you like to use when creating artwork?

A. I reference images from photo albums. I love how people used to capture their lives through the digital cameras. The moments that people chose to capture when met with a finite amount of moments to physicalise really interest me and play a big role in my work.

Q. What artists or artworks (from your life or art history) do you admire or consider influential to your work & why?

A. I am inspired by a variety of artists in a variety of different ways so this is a hard question for me to narrow down! I love artists that use a pink or bold underpainting (of course) like Arcmanoro Niles, people who play with negative space like Jordan Casteel and the experimental use of colour in David Hockney's and Gary Hume’s art. All those artists have inspired me in different ways, but mainly they taught me to play with how I create. They ultimately helped me find my style; my handwriting with the paintbrush if you will. Honourable mention must also be John Baldessari for his use of archival images! Seeing his interviews and reading his book definitely pushed me towards merging my love of found photographs and painting.

Q. What advice do you have for other new or aspiring artists?

A. I would tell inspiring artists to play with how they create, explore colour combinations, test materials until you find what feels truly like yourself. Art is how you express yourself and your message to the world. Find your voice and how you communicate.

Q. Professionally, what has been your biggest achievement so far?

A. My biggest achievement happened last week. It was not only exhibiting in Basel Switzerland, but the fact that all 6 of the original works I brought with me were sold! Creating work that people connect with, hearing their familiar memories and sharing feelings of nostalgia are the reasons I create. Connecting with incredible artists, advisors, collectors and art lovers in a new country over the week was a magical experience.

Q. What is your first memory of creating art?

A. I don’t have a distinct memory of first creating art, its more like when didn’t I create art. Creating has been something I’ve done to express my thoughts and feelings from the moment I could hold a pencil. It's my way of visualising the world.

Q. How do you spend your time when you’re not creating artwork?

A. When I’m not creating artwork I spend my free time seeing films at the cinema, taking trips with my partner and cooking. I also enjoy music but who doesn’t!

Q. What work do you most enjoy doing?

A. I most enjoy creating large bold colourful works that reflect joyous moments. I find it the most enjoyable when I look at the work and see that I have captured both the past and present in one nostalgic image.

Q. What is your dream project?

A. I would love to create a mural! I think the pink underpainting and joyous nostalgic moments would be so impactful on the side of a building, somewhere everyone can enjoy my art.

Isobel’s work is a heartfelt exploration of the memories that shape us, inviting viewers to reconnect with familiar moments through a fresh and colourful perspective. We’re honoured to print her beautiful paintings and to play a small part in sharing her work with a wider audience. You can discover more of Isobel’s work and follow her latest projects on her website and Instagram.