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Hi, I'm Brianna

Over the last few years, I have made the subtle but important shift from making my life about art to making art about my life. I’ve just exited my sit-com era and moved to the suburbs to live with my partner. I’m thinking a lot about what makes for good community, and how we connect with each other: where convenience forms important bonds and when effort keeps them alive. My creative practice has so far explored the themes of Comfort, Friendship, and Romance; all things that have confused and compelled me. If you’re interested in both the process and the product, my email newsletter is going to be your new favourite digital postcard. 

kindred spirits sign up here

What am I looking at, exactly?

All of this artwork is printmaking, as in letterpress, not inkjet. A huge majority of it is linocut printmaking. This means I carve linoleum (the flooring material) into a kind of stamp, that I then ink and press into paper to transfer the image. The colours are built up in layers: one layer for every colour in the print. Some of the text elements are transferred from lead type.

This art is all about

  • People

    Nearly everyone depicted in my work is a real person! I love to consult with my community (in person and via email) when I'm generating ideas.  Usually their experience is included somehow in addition to their likeness.

  • Colour

    I adore colour. It's not necessarily about being bright or bold, more about combinations that scratch an itch or evoke a feeling. My print technique results in highly dimensional colour that doesn't quite translate into digital photos! Have a look at the magnifying glass photos in a bunch of the artworks in the shop. They're one inch square and sometimes look completely unexpected.

  • Feeling all the Feelings

    Comfort, Vulnerability, Empathy, Sadness, Curiosity, Belonging, Grief, Pride, Joy, Relief, Self-compassion, Wonder, Gratitude, Disappointment, Admiration, Anger, Guilt, Overwhelm, Bittersweetness...

Looking for the Portfolio?

If you're thinking of doing some shopping, you're in exactly the right place! But if you want to see all of my art sorted by project, or browse my library, or check my CV... those things are on my portfolio site.

www.briannatosswill.ca

We're very analog over here

I’m far from the only person to have a fraught relationship with Instagram. Over the last year and a half, I have been mostly absent from the platform, though my account still exists. I popped on during my solo show Romantic Tensions in May ‘26. Sometimes my partner goes in and posts stories when I’m at an in-person event. That particular digital environment is not one where I want to spend the minutes and hours of my precious life. You are welcome to follow me and maybe see my posts twice a year, or subscribe to my newsletter, or if you want to be old school like me (haha) you can save this website as a favourite in your browser, to check in on occasionally. That’s how I keep track of my favourite living artists who don’t have email newsletters.