Brenna Busse

 

Mentor philosophy
Brenna Busse

Because to make art is such a personal, healing and courageous act, I feel that my most important job as a mentor is to be support:  to be that voice that says “yes, you can do this”.  I become the undivided presence that believes in her, even when sometimes she does not.  I am a stand for her.  As that stand, I am witness to the commitment that this
artist has made to herself.  Through our agreement, I embody that commitment – and she becomes accountable to me.

Understanding one’s own creative process is essential to making art, and that exploration and noticing is where we begin the journey.  I always recommend two books:  Trust the Process by Shawn McNiff;  Art and Fear by Bayles and Orland.

I work intuitively with a protégée, listening to what she needs, and learning when to push and when to let her unfold in her own time.  The metaphor that I use when describing my mentoring process is that of two women walking a forest path.  I have walked this path before, many times.  I am familiar with the hills and valleys, where the path is almost obscured by undergrowth or a fallen tree.  Where the path is narrow, she leads the way.

Other times we walk side by side.  Along the way, I will point out special plants, or the place where the heron nests.  She, seeing with new eyes, will notice the ginger in bloom – or even strike a new path, and I follow her.

When giving feedback about her work to the protégée, it is important to me that she understand that what I am saying is my knowledgeable opinion, and not absolute truth.  That is why I encourage her to form/join a small group and seek out other feedback to her work.

I am deeply touched and inspired by the process of mentoring.  One belief that I have kept from my experience of being mentored is:  All parts of yourself are welcome here.

I believe that our art is intertwined with our lives, and so emotions from our daily lives influence and are reflected in our art and art making practice.  Everything is thrown into the messy and joyous mix of art and life!

Biography

This year is the 30th anniversary of my beginning journey into art making. It is also the 20th year of presenting my work in the network of juried art fairs and festivals across the nation, that has allowed me to make a living doing my art.

The rigors of constantly creating and selling has helped me keep my work fresh and ever changing.  I love to experiment with new materials and the risk taking that involves.

I live with my husband, Dan in our South Minneapolis home, with our little
white dog, Fin.  My daughter, who has inspired so much of my art — is off creating her own life.   All is well.

Brenna Busse
thoughts on my process and intention…

mud / sticks / rags / stuffs: I  celebrate these raw and humble materials in creating  mixed media figures.

In my process, materials are the guide and source of inspiration. Mixing the media is about letting the materials speak and express their unique aspects.

The  challange is bringing them together to form a whole — yet allowing each material to retain its own voice.

mud /clay /earth /ground: It is with this sensual, pliable and forgiving material that I begin my process — the mythical stuff of our making.  Head, hands, feet formed — and then transformed through fire.

rags /fabric /cloth /material: After clay parts are complete,
I imagine the body.  In the tradition of doll, that I claim as a powerful icon of my girlhood, I use fabric.  Cloth carries familiarity and comfort.   Constantly touching us in our daily lives, our clothing is a second skin.  My figures with frayed edges, loose threads, tracks of stitches show the trace of making by hand; to honor the beautiful imperfection of humanness.

sticks /tree /branch /twig: Since I began making figures 20 years ago,
I have always included some aspect of tree.  Attached to the figure, they
are symbols of strength and growth.  Entire figures are sticks — with fabric
wrapped and knotted, holding them together.  It is my praise song to nature.

stuffs: That is everything else, lost and found.  It is rusty metal  found on the street. or heart rocks along the river.  It  is buttons and zippers found in drawers.

It is puzzle pieces or keys that no longer fit,  bottlecaps that have served their purpose.  It is the stuff of our lives, that find new life and a new way of seeing in these figures.

My intention is to communicate and inspire.  Using materials as metaphor;
I  share my  celebration of the beauty of nature, faith in possibility and the
sacred quality of daily life…