Brent Estabrook is an American artist known for his large-scale oil paintings of stuffed animals. Born in Arizona and raised in Seattle, WA, he holds a Bachelor of Studio Arts from the University of Arizona and a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Louisville. With a playful yet meticulous approach, Estabrook combines surgical precision with a childlike sense of joy, creating textured and vibrant compositions. His artistic journey began by turning frustration over student debt into painting of enlarged currencies leading to a career breakthrough. Through a series of colorful skulls, he developed his distinctive style, exploring brushwork and color palette. The series “Perpetual Recess,” initiated in 2015, firmly established him in the art world. Since then, Estabrook has exhibited in notable art fairs across the United States of Long Beach Museum of Art hosted his solo exhibition “Creature Comforts” in 2022. See his amazing and evocative artwork in today’s Maker Monday.
Andrew Joseph: Can you describe a project that you’re particularly proud of?
Brent Estabrook: Definitely Smiles the plushie (pictured above). He is a luxury, high-end collectible stuffed animal inspired by a 12-inch bronze sculpture I did back in 2018. He has an upside-down face to inspire people all over the world to look at the world differently, embrace who you truly are, follow your dreams, and live an inspired life. I was deeply involved in the design and production of the original Smiles plushie and I am also working on other plushies that live in the Smiles world, all of them with a crazy, unique feature and inspirational message. There is so much good potential with where this could go and I am just now starting to bring Smiles and the world of Smiles to life. I am really excited about what this could ultimately become and the different inspiring messages I get to share with the world through this project.
AJ: How do you stay creative and inspired?
BE: Pragmatically speaking, breathwork is a huge one to ignite my creativity. There is also meditation, exercise, good diet, laughter, dance, love, gratefulness… Doing my thankful journal every day and hanging out with encouraging, inspiring people are both so important to keep the creativity and inspiration flowing.
Adventure Time – Quilt
AJ: What was the last book you read and how did it inspire you?
BE: I just read Rick Ruben’s The Creative Act and it was so insanely inspiring for me as a creative but even non-creatives should give this book a read or a listen. It is all about cultivating and nurturing creativity and I loved his perspective that there are no rules in art, just infinite possibilities.
AJ: Can you tell us about a specific moment in your career that made you feel accomplished?
BE: My Long Beach Museum of Art solo show, back in 2022. It was my first solo show and it just felt like one of those “I made it” moments.
AJ: How do you stay organized while working on multiple projects?
BE: Normally, I have two easels with a different painting on each but I only have one out at a time so nothing else can get my attention, not even the other painting I am working on. It’s a simple but effective way to stay organized as a creative. It helps me focus, finish, then let go and move on.
cRaZy stuFFed aniMALs Art Miami Maddox Gallery
AJ: What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
BE: My dream project would be to build a studio and museum right in the middle of a giant botanical garden. That is my big, big dream.
AJ: What’s a new hobby/skill that you have learned recently?
BE: I have been focusing a lot lately on photography and photographing my artwork and studio, and often myself alongside it. My paintings are really vividly colorful and in the past we have had a hard time getting the photography to match what you see in real life. It has been really fun and challenging, a good kind of a challenge, to capture the color, which is the essence of my work, with a totally new medium.
AJ: What is your favorite aspect of your job?
BE: Every day I get to go on the most insane adventures I could even fathom within the world of creativity, whether it’s painting or something else. There is an endless amount of exploration and learning, and potential for positive impact. Ultimately, injecting positivity into the world through creativity is the best part about what I get to do for a living.
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