By Bradyn Orton | [email protected]

Art starts in the heart, and for Artist of the Month Tiffany Brazell, it ends in the heart as well.

Each month the Holladay Arts Council selects a deserving artist to be featured as the artist of the month, and the Artist of the Month for October is Tiffany Brazell.

At three years old, most children are trying to grasp the basics of cognition and understanding, but for Brazell, her artistic lifestyle had already begun blossoming.

Beginning with a watercolor of a man holding a bunch of balloons, her artistic horizons have broadened. She now enjoys creating more natural scenes, featuring fish and other animals, including her numerous pets.

“Real painters do not paint things as they are, but they paint things as they themselves feel them to be,” Brazell said.

Brazell, a Utah native, moved to Australia when she was four years old while her father was working on his PhD.  She returned to Utah at age 10 and went on to get her bachelor of fine arts in painting and drawing from the University of Utah.  She now specializes in animal artwork and large-scale art, which helps bring to life the scene and subjects of her paintings.

Though humans are still the focus in some of her artwork, the joy and passion Brazell feels for animals emanates from her paintings.  Her rabbit, salamander, two dogs and various assortment of fish share the spotlight in many of her paintings and are her inspiration.

Brazell considers herself a modern expressionist, and her art rarely revolves around the same subject or idea.  While many paintings can depict a natural and calming scene, her wide range can vary anywhere from just plain silly to unnerving and thought-provoking.

Artwork lines the walls of her studio, engulfing her in the life and discipline of the work she enjoys with great passion. Reminders of past works and future inspirations follow her around, leaving few opportunities unexplored while perpetuating her talent and passion for art.

When Brazell was in high school she experienced a traumatic brain injury causing her to lose much of her math and writing abilities. The injury was the result of the accumulation of unknown concussions from Taekwondo coupled with a singular event where she hit her head while playing football.

“My math abilities just got knocked out of my head,” Brazell said with a laugh.

Her artwork excelled as she retained her creativity, while at the same time she was having to relearn how to read.

Even through the trauma, Brazell now has a publishing deal and is set to release two of her books, “The Prisoner of Mauvias” and “The Destroyer’s Empire.”

Outside of painting, Brazell maintains 225 gallons of fresh- and salt-water aquariums while also maintaining her passion for scuba diving, and is even certified with PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and intends to get her master diver with the hopes of one day herself becoming a diving instructor.

Prints of Brazell’s work can be ordered online at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/tiffany-brazell.html. Like Brazell on Facebook and see her extensive series of paintings. Also check out her website at http://tiffanybrazellfinearts.com/.