Meet the Artist: Brittany Selfe Paynter

A diversity of mediums invite nature to inhabit her canvases.

​The art I create is all about observation. It starts with a decision to notice myself being in a place, and truly stop and see it. These places may be large, cavernous rock outcroppings, lakeside beaches, ocean coasts or exotic locations I’m exploring. Other times, I pause to observe surprisingly small place that fits in the palm of my hand. Observation of the natural world is what feeds my inspiration to create each painting.

More often than not, I will make my work with oil paint. It is a forgiving and enjoyable medium that lends itself to the widest array of possible color choices, and a variety of textures and subjects. What began with an obsession with rocks, finding hues of green and purple within sandstone and shale, has evolved. Now I apply my keen observations of color and form to elements like water, sky, people, and plants. I enjoy working on a large scale, so I can convey the impression I receive from scenes of Lake Erie, the Pacific Ocean, a volcano or something else impactful. Yet I’ve learned that more people are likely to have space for a smaller painting, and so I create on that scale as well.

Other mediums that lend themselves to my work are watercolor and ceramics. I find that the color possibilities in watercolor and the way the medium interacts with itself, are relatable to oil. However, it offers a more approachable scale, and seems to carry less pressure in the piece than an oil painting. I enjoy leaning into watercolor work in between my regular paintings. Ceramic art satisfies my desire to be messy and to connect with the earth through my hands. The art I create on the pottery wheel explores glaze combinations that are informed by nature, and an essence of exploration when I incorporate glass into my pieces. I love to experiment and often do not make the same piece more than once.

Brittany Selfe Paynter is a self-taught professional painter, who lives in Geauga County, Ohio. She is an active Board Member of the Geauga Arts Council, and owns her own small business. In addition to raising her two children, she is a freelance web designer and an art teacher for the Chardon Recreation Department. You can follow her Instagram @mamapaynter and view her available artwork on her website www.brittanyselfeart.com

Featured Artist at UH Hospital Geauga March 3rd, 2021 - July 12th, 2021

Featured Artist at Tame Rabbit Coffee December 2022 - February 2023