Rebecca (Becky) Brockman-Schneider is a Researcher III in the School of Medicine and Public Health’s Pediatrics Department Allergy, Immunology, & Rheumatology Unit and has multiple pieces published in Corpus Callosum from the first issue, Patience, A Walk At Nine Springs (Fall 2020), January’s Invitation (Spring 2021), Aspen Trail (Fall 2021), And the World is Young Again (Spring 2022), Sienna and Blues (Fall 2022), Solstice Sentinels (Fall 2023), The Good Day (Spring 2024), to this most current issue (Fall 2024), Roadside Radiance.
Question 1: What drew you to soft pastels and what is your background in it?
Brockman-Schneider: Many things in my childhood cultivated the desire to express myself creatively. I grew up in a rural area surrounded by nature, and I loved to be outdoors. I enjoyed drawing and painting using crayons, markers, and finger paints or watercolors. I had a creative mother who enjoyed doing crafts and would let me use her supplies, and just as importantly, she read children’s picture books to me and my siblings from a young age. I loved looking at the wonderful pictures and seeing how the illustrators created colorful worlds using different artistic styles. These were my first exposures to art. Once I entered school, I learned about a wide variety of media and the works of master artists, and art class was my favorite part of the day. I did a lot of drawing at home on my own, and by the end of high school, I was taking independent study classes in acrylic painting.
I love science just as much as art, so after high school, I decided to focus my education and training on becoming a scientist, and put my artistic pursuits on the back burner for a while. During college and graduate school, I did not spend much time creating art, and after I started my family, I would occasionally draw or do something that could be interrupted. Photography was a favorite. As my children got older, I began taking more classes and art workshops again, and was introduced to soft pastels in 2009. I love the rich pigments and the immediate accessibility of this medium, and developed better handling with continued training and practice. I found supportive communities by joining the Association of Wisconsin Artists, Madison Art Guild, and the Wisconsin Pastel Artists. I’ve attended the convention of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) twice, starting in 2019, and the exposure to demos and workshops by pastel artists at the top of their game helped me advance my skills.
Question 2: What motivates you to create and what inspires your art?
Brockman-Schneider: I like the process of creating something and my inspiration largely comes from nature. It’s an innate part of who I am. I usually realize I want to draw or paint something when it makes me stop and look longer, or makes me want to preserve the way I feel in that moment (this is akin to the “haiku moment” in poetry). That joy is enough in itself, but it becomes even more meaningful when someone views my art and feels a connection. I use the camera on my phone to take photos whenever something inspires me—beautiful light on a landscape, a dramatic sky, or a foggy morning, and then spend quite a bit of time thinking about the composition and the colors I plan to use before I even set up the paper and begin painting. I like the sensory experience of working with art materials—the colors, the textures, and the smell of art supplies. Simply viewing all the colors in a set of pastels releases endorphins for me. I like the fact that art can be done in solitude, yet I also enjoy getting together with other artists and learning from each other.
Question 3: Do you have any favorite artists or art that have influenced you and who/what are they?
Brockman-Schneider: Aside from those earlier public school art teachers, my groundwork with pastels was achieved by taking classes with artist Kay Brathol-Hostvet where I learned how to incorporate this medium into my style. She is an enthusiastic and skillfull teacher that has become a valued friend and mentor. A consistent favorite contemporary pastel artist is Cindy House, as I am drawn to the realism she employs to depict natural landscapes. I also like the pastel work of Liz Haywood-Sullivan, and she offers excellent workshops and helpful books. The pages of Pastel Journal offer a bounty of artistic influence, and every year I am blown away by the Birds in Art exhibit at the Woodson Art Museum in Wausau.
Question 4: How do you balance your art with the rest of responsibilities in your life and does art help you in those other arenas of your life?
Brockman-Schneider: I see art and science as intimately related. Both require a sense of curiosity and exploration, an openness to seeing, and an attention to detail that others might miss. Both offer pathways for bringing good into the world and creating human connections. I think the pandemic showed us just how vital both art and science are to our well-being.
Balance is something that’s always in a state of flux because life is messy. I generally need to carve out a few hours of relatively uninterrupted time to get into “the zone”, and once I’m there, time goes quickly and momentum builds. This keeps me coming back at every opportunity. Having a dedicated place to work on art has been a game-changer, even if it’s a makeshift studio in the corner of a spare bedroom. I try to do one art-related thing each day, even if it’s small, but sometimes there are just too many other demands.
Question 5: What is next for your art (anything you are working on now or planning to)?
Brockman-Schneider: In addition to what’s currently on my easel, I usually have my next 2 or 3 paintings in mind, and have a collection of reference photos to help with ideas. My choices are strongly influenced by the seasons of the natural year. Winter scenes are a favorite, as well as nocturnes. I am represented by Woodland Studios in Stoughton, Wisconsin, which is located in a fascinating historical building in the downtown area. I would like to work towards becoming a Signature Member of the Wisconsin Pastel Artists at some point in the future.
Question 6: Do you have any advice for anyone curious or interested in getting into art who hasn’t before?
Brockman-Schneider: Play with a variety of media to see what clicks with you. There are many good books and YouTube videos available, both on basic artistic concepts as well as on the handling of specific media. Nothing gets you jumpstarted like taking a class with a teacher who can introduce you to specific supplies and how to use them. Use professional grade rather than student grade materials to avoid getting frustrated by poor quality supplies, even if it means getting a smaller set of colors, for example. Most importantly, be wary of comparison to others. Paint your own soul, not someone else’s.