Kathy Brusnighan: Oil / Acrylic / Murals

Greensboro, North Carolina-based artist Kathy Brusnighan grew up in Burlington where, as a child, her days were filled with much time at home in her room, with pens, pencils, and crayons in hand, writing, drawing and covering surfaces with words and colors. Receiving her first paint set for Christmas around the age of 14, she began to paint with oils in her bedroom and took classes from Mrs. Frances Riddle in Burlington soon after, in a small studio, where the philosophy was "If you can draw it, you can paint it". Mrs. Riddle was very encouraging and left each young artist to themselves unless they asked for assistance, teaching one on one when needed, and watching each students progress as she encouraged each one to be an individual. Kathy continued to paint and draw to express herself through her teenage years, but laid it all down when she left home around the age of 17.

When she married her husband, Joe in 1980, her desire to create was stirred due to her time alone while Joe traveled. She spent days getting lost in color while he was on the road. During that time, Kathy began to take some classes at the Center for Creative Art in Greensboro under the instruction of Robert Harris, whose philosophy was much the same as Mrs. Riddles. Each student was allowed to paint their preference and ask for help when needed. After a few years of painting, everything was laid down again, when our family was started.

They raised 2 wonderful sons and, along the way, Kathy used her creativity in other areas that fit around family life and church, such as cake decorating, banners, leading dance troops, sets in plays, craft projects and Sunday school lessons.

As the children became older, Kathy painted a bit, as many friends encouraged her to pursue her gift. The day that she was encouraged to paint a friends kitchen walls changed everything. With such a large surface, Kathy was stretched past a small beginning, a small surface, a small confidence. She was hired by a well known faux-finisher and worked with finishes on walls during the High Point Furniture Market. Two years later, she started a faux-finishing business that gave her many opportunities to paint large murals for clients. This fast paced world, gave her a place for much practice and honing of her ability to reach a desired goal very quickly. After about 7 years, her heart for painting the beauty of creation won out over finishes and she left the world of faux-finishing and pursued art on canvas and murals exclusively.

Kathy's current preference is acrylics and oils on canvas. Because she still works with designers during market, she loves a variety of styles that ranges from traditional to contemporary, sleek to textured. Her greatest joy is when she has to opportunity to paint prophetic pieces during worship at church, or while friends play their music in the community, or alone in her studio with the music blaring and the opportunity to dance and paint as she worships.

As many artists state, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I love the beauty around me and can get lost in the simplicity of a grassy field, the colors across the sky, the angle of stones along a path. As I move through my life, the simplicity of the ordinary, every day becomes more amazing and complex. The play of color, the feel of paint on my hands, the drag of a brush across a surface seems to hold such a fragrance of life.

I am on a journey to capture emotion in my work. I desire to go beyond what you see and stir an emotion, a memory, a yearning of the heart. There are days that I find those emotions while painting a waterfall..but there are some questions or statements that I can only release and explore with music playing and the freedom of an abstract release of color and movement. It may take a lifetime to capture the whisper of one’s heart in a painting, and I am excited about the journey.

I hope that your heart will be stirred, your emotions come to rest and you find peace as you encounter my paintings.