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Artist Fellowship | Features

Meet an Artist Fellow: Illustrator, Domonique Brown

At the end of last year we hosted illustrator, Dominique Brown, at Getaway Big Bear outside of LA as part of our Artist Fellowship program. We were able to chat with Domonique about her creative practice and to hear more about her escape to nature.

Fill us in on your background—personally and in your creative practice. 

I am a designer and illustrator based in the Los Angeles area. And, I run my own brand, DomoINK, an art and home decor brand that pushes for diversity for inclusivity, that is currently offered in major retailers like Target and Homegoods.

I have collaborated with Disney, Forbes, Bleacher Report, LA Times, and Samsung to name a few. And, my artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions and galleries. And, I have been interviewed by multiple national outlets like CNBC, iHeart Radio with Ryan Seacrest as the interviewer, Forbes, and NowThis News to speak on my art and entrepreneurship.

How does your connection to nature influence you personally, and how does it influence your art?

I have always been a “city girl.” I never went camping growing up. I never did walking trails or go hiking. As I got older, I decided to make a shift to leaving the city and seeing more of the world. Traveling all over the world to destinations like Costa Rica to live in the jungles or staying in Vancouver and going on nature hikes, changed my art. 

As a portrait artist, I began to add backgrounds to my subjects. I wasn’t simply drawing people on a colored background anymore. I am illustrating people enjoying life outside as you can see in my piece I did at the Getaway in Big Bear. 

How was your Getaway? Did your free time in your cabin influence your process or inspire any new ideas?

My Getaway was amazing! For that weekend, I enjoyed disconnecting from the stresses of everyday life. I put my phone away in my cabin’s lockbox and just focused on my uninterrupted time to just rest and enjoy the nature of Big Bear. 

The time also inspired me to create new artwork. And, it gave me the time and space to just draw freely without distractions. While it was snowing in Big Bear, my fiance took trips to the slopes to go snowboarding and snow tubing.

After those adventures, I went back to my cabin, grabbed my tablet, and illustrated the fun I had on my Big Bear trip.

Anything else you’d like to share with us? We’d love to hear your feedback! 

We loved the big window next to the bed! It was nice to feel like you are outside without having to deal with the cold temperatures. I loved the free smores kit. It was nice to have for our campfire at night. 

You can keep up with Domonique on her Instagram and by checking out her shop.