art treatise
finding meaning in the
mess
While artist Brooke Eagle has always favored nature and abstraction, becoming a
mother pushed her to find new inspirations.
MBy Emory Rakestraw | Photography by Allison Potter ANY artists can say they’ve found inspiration from a serene beach scene, but not many have
found it in a plate of spaghetti, mashed avocado on the floor, or even a cutting board dyed
from various hues of chopped vegetables.
Over time, Brooke Eagle has evolved from landscapes and wildlife to abstract work told
through the eyes of raising a 2-year-old daughter. She’s finding new ways to communicate
“I did a series last year called Mundane Magic where I explored finding magic in the more mundane
or harder parts of life. It started with a desperate desire to look at meals and snack time with a refreshed
perspective,” says Eagle. “One day she Eagle’s daughter was smearing spaghetti across her tray and I saw
beauty in the mess. I thought maybe if I started thinking of it as inspiration it would shift my mindset.”
Pieces from this collection assert the balance of a messy kitchen complemented by warm pastels in
abstract shapes. Eagle, who mainly works in acrylic, prefers to use thinned paints to create a flow of color
on the canvas. Scraping away at the layers creates dimension, birthing colors one cannot name. Delicate
details are added through pastels, cray-on
and pencils.
Color inspiration has even been found
in her daughter’s favorite sippy cups, one
hot pink and one light pink, displayed in
Macaroni from the series.
“I spend a lot more time outside in a
slower way walking around the backyard
and going to parks and the beach. Trying
to keep her interested, that has pushed
me to be in nature more,” she says. “I can
focus in on the moment, playing with her
and showing her little things I’d never
pay attention to, like little crabs digging
their holes and watching the birds. I find
so much of my inspiration through my
daughter now.”
She hasn’t always found creative
vision from a highchair after dinner
time. Earlier works depict landscapes
seen from her home on the waterway
and international travels. Eagle, who
received a degree in Studio Art from the
University of North Carolina Wilmington,
is accustomed to stepping into beauty,
instead of having to search for it.
Artist Brooke Eagle found new inspira-tion
in raising her daughter, Layla.
the meaning in the mess.
june 2021 38
WBM