Doby got her start in the arts as a muralist, but always had a passion for art since middle school and comes from a creative family.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I went to Verona High School, I had some really great art teachers to pursue it further,\u201d Doby said. \u201cMy dad\u2019s a music producer, songwriter, web designer. He has musicians in his family and photographers and all sorts of creative people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doby\u2019s mother is a drug and alcohol counselor. When it came time for Doby to attend college, she chose to merge what her parents did with her own passions to pursue art therapy. She attended Edgewood University \u2014 but ultimately chose not to pursue it further.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still a goal of mine. I didn\u2019t know I needed my master\u2019s to do the therapy aspect until after I graduated. Somehow I missed that part,\u201d Doby said. \u201cSince I graduated in 2020, I\u2019ve been an entrepreneur.\u201d<\/p>\n
She started doing murals downtown during the George Floyd protests. Businesses asked her to do murals as a result. Doby has quite a few murals around Madison and one in Beaver Dam.<\/p>\n Doby decided that \u201cmurals were way too much\u201d of her time for just one person to do as a hand painter. It would often take her months to complete projects \u2014 but she really loved art and wanted to try another path.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to see if maybe I could sell my paintings, and so I started getting involved in community events to sell my artwork,\u201d Doby said. \u201cFrom there, I worked my way up to Art Fair On The Square, Art Fair Off The Square, and other major fine art shows around Madison.\u201d<\/p>\n That transition has been great for Doby, she said. She\u2019s been able to do it full-time for a while and is happy that her children can see their mother pursue her dreams.<\/p>\n Doby\u2019s was found by ART House 360 at one of the art fairs around Madison. She spoke with Karisa Johnson, one of ART House 360\u2019s founders, about her background as an artist, and the more confident Doby has become about her journey and ability.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the beginning, I didn\u2019t think I was on this level as an art therapist yet because I haven\u2019t been in school in so long, and I haven\u2019t done the therapy aspect. But the more we talked, the more my confidence grew,\u201d Doby says. \u201cShe was encouraging me \u2026 and by the end of it, I was like, \u2018Okay. Yes. This is what I want to do. I want people to find beauty in themselves.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Doby\u2019s art is pop art abstract-style portraits<\/a>. The style blends art therapy and art to find beauty within oneself. Doby landed on this style after she tried to do self-portraits, but found the results awkward.<\/p>\n \u201cI just never liked them. I didn\u2019t think they looked like me,\u201d Doby said. \u201cWhen I graduated, I decided I was gonna attempt this for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Sometimes the work resembles her, sometimes not. Still, the expression and beauty from the abstract make it so you can flow freely and accentuate parts of yourself that you may be insecure about \u2014 but in a beautiful way, Doby said.<\/p>\n During Doby\u2019s time at ART House 360, she will host a workshop on pop art-style self-portraits. In addition, a mixer will be hosted earlier in the month where Doby will share insights into her artistic journey, creative process, and inspiration behind her works.<\/p>\n Doby\u2019s work will be up at ART House 360, 401 W Verona Ave., throughout July. The mixer will be held Thursday, July 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m. It is free to attend; no registration is required.<\/p>\n The workshop will be held July 22 and 29, starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $85.<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/a>\u201cExceptional Man\u201d by Brooklyn Doby <\/p>\n
<\/a>\u201cself-portrait\u201d by Brooklyn Doby <\/p>\n