#WCW Breze Schmitz is a 24-year-old free-spirited artist from Milton, Georgia. Breze wants to utilize her passion for art to help others view life in a unique and different perspective. Check out her interview with us here:
1. What’s your story? What makes you unique?
I love the freedom of a blank canvas. I enjoy working in a variety of mediums to create different and interesting pieces with a never-ending range of subject material. I have found this is somewhat unique, as many artists prefer to focus on one medium and style. Sometimes it is tough to continue my personal quest to thrive as a versatile artist rather than directly relating myself to a particular medium or subject matter. While it is brilliant for an artist to master a certain technique, I find great pleasure in exploring and creating in a continually growing variety of art forms. I believe my individual style is always present and working with new mediums, styles and techniques continues to inspire me.
2. What motivates you?
Creativity is boundless! I enjoy exploring and learning new techniques and creating new visions as well as getting varying processes down to an organic science. For example, when creating my jewelry, there are times when I want to let it flow and see what develops, and other times when I enjoy designing a certain pattern to create a specific piece I have in my mind. I am fueled by people's reactions to my art. It keeps me driven and excited! I am heavily influence by nature and music. Animals and musical elements are big components you will find encompassed in my work.
3. Who is your hero?
Salvador Dali has been a main influence and source of inspiration for me. Dali opened a door for viewers to see the surrealistic dream world he created. I find him inspirational because he continued to explore variety in art throughout his career/life; from painting and sculptures to jewelry, furniture and even film. He continued his visionary explorations throughout his life and I admire him for the way in which he blended art into every aspect in his life.
4. Give us a roadmap of your career. How did you get to where you are today?
Oddly enough I did not discover my talent or interest in art until my senior year in high school. On a whim, I took a couple of drawing courses at SCAD and found my passion. I took additional classes at SCAD and Ole Miss, and graduated from UGA with a BFA in fine arts in the spring of 2015. Since then I have been working to develop my own business and successfully make artistic creation my career.
5. What's your future plan? Your goals?
My future plan is to continue to share my art with as many people as I can as well as to keep my current collectors guessing what is next.
6. If you could give one piece of advice what would it be?
Submerge yourself in nature; it offers new beauty every day. Go outside and look at the clouds! Take time to enjoy and breathe, and most importantly in this age of technology, live in the moment, enjoying the space around you.
7. What is something you feel strongly about?
Conserving the earth. Preserving nature in all ways is very important to me. My exit series from UGA was designed to portray the message “Is of the Earth”. Everything is of the earth. Everything and all of us came from a natural state and as humans we need to respect this because we are made up of elements just as the trees we are cutting down and the water we are polluting.
8. Coolest thing you have ever done?
I had the opportunity to study art in Italy with 40 other artists, all experiencing the wonder of it for the first time together. It was an incredible experience to see things not only through my eyes but also the eyes of my artistic peers. Plein-air painting in Tuscany was a dream come true. My series dedicated to the history I studied was represented by charcoal portraits of wise old men to give tribute to my grandfather and tie in my Italian heritage.
9. Anything else you'd like to mention?
Check out my website www.brezeart.com and be sure to follow me on social media to see what I have up my sleeve, or on it!
If you would like to reach out to Breze Schmitz for mentorship/networking opportunities, you can reach her HERE.
