ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Brynne Levy

Written By luis aguilera

Brynne with one of her watercolors in hand, standing in front of her oil painting.

As we close out the summer, we’re excited to feature Brynne Levy, a multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn whose creative journey spans from portrait sketching in theme parks to circus aerial performance and, ultimately, to photography and painting. Her work is deeply influenced by her background in performance art, with a strong focus on dramatic composition, lighting, and storytelling.

Hammer and Bow

Recently, Brynne has been exploring pocket-sized watercolor scenes inspired by New York City’s fleeting yet memorable moments, balancing her digital practice with a renewed connection to tactile art-making.

Brynne Levy
IG: @vanderveer_art_studio

Domino Park Goose in frame

Who are you and what do you do? 

My name is Brynne Levy, and I’m a multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn. As a teenager, I spent summers working as a portrait artist in a theme park, sketching park guests in pastels. This fast-paced, commission-driven environment helped me develop efficiency, adaptability, and confidence in capturing likenesses in front of an audience. After I graduated college, I pursued a career as an aerialist, performing with circus companies and teaching aerial arts classes. I moved to NYC over a decade ago to pursue performance opportunities, and through circus, I eventually transitioned into photography. I have been working professionally as a photographer and retoucher for the last 9 years, and after spending so much time using digital tools, I’ve been painting more lately to reconnect with art-making in a tactile way.

One Vanderbilt print

Tell us about your work and what inspires your artistic style?

My background in performance art heavily inspires my work. The years I spent creating choreography for the stage and compositions with my camera now impact how I frame the vignettes I paint, and I’m still inspired by dramatic lighting, detailed sound design, and avant-garde visuals.

One Way in frame

Is there any work you're particularly proud of or want to highlight?

I’m working on a series of pocket-sized watercolors inspired by small, quiet moments I’ve experienced around the city. Some capture scenes that felt very New York (a late-night view of the World Trade Center from a street corner, a brownstone framed by summer foliage); others made the city feel like somewhere else entirely (a sunlit goose on a narrow strip of beach in Williamsburg, a twilight lake view in Prospect Park). My personal favorite in the series, Trash Pigeon, was painted from a day with my mom during her visit to New York. We were walking through Williamsburg when a pigeon landed gracelessly on a nearby trash can with a loud clang, startling us both and making us laugh.

Park Slope Windows in frame

How has IMPRESO contributed to your journey as an artist? 

I’ve worked with other print shops in the past, but none have matched the level of quality and color accuracy that IMPRESO consistently delivers. Their prints of my paintings and photography are so true to the originals, they’re nearly indistinguishable.

Are there any tips or advice you want to give other artists out there?

As a photo retoucher, I spend a lot of time working in Photoshop, and moving between digital and analog formats has opened up new ways for me to experiment with color and composition. Outside of visual art, I like to explore other creative outlets like writing poetry or making music. I find trying different forms of creativity helps shape the way I approach my work overall.


Follow Brynne on the following platforms:

Website: https://www.vanderveerartstudio.com/

Shop: https://vanderveerartstudio.square.site/

Email: hello@vanderveerartstudio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanderveer_art_studio

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vanderveer_art_studio

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vanderveer_art_studio

We’re grateful to share Brynne’s work and process, and we can’t wait to keep highlighting more artists from our community. Stay tuned for the next Artist Spotlight!

luis aguilera

Luis Aguilera was born Caracas, Venezuela and then moved to Miami, Florida as a teenager. A street artist by nature, Aguilera has always been intrigued by the innovative ways that photography can capture a moment, especially shots near water. With the use of various DJI drones, Aguilera has been able to capture moments that were only available to those who had access to a helicopter. With his drone photography, Aguilera has been able to capture stunning photos of the oceans in different parts of the world. His series, “Thalassophile”, which means lover of the oceans, has explored the beaches of Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale in Florida as well as Ocho Rios, Jamaica. He’s also captured the exotic beaches in Waipo’o Valley, Waimea Beach, and Two Step in Hawaii. Mesmerized by the beachside scene and its ocean-adjacent atmosphere, this series focuses on the immensity and power of the ocean and how small people are in comparison. Capturing moments that feel authentic and true to the experience of being by the ocean, Aguilera’s series shows how no matter how different humans are, we are all captured the same 400 ft. in the air. The series also highlights how all people end up doing the same things when they see and interact with the water – whether that is sun bathing, lying in an inflatable tube, or enjoying the weather with friends, drinks and some food. The collectiveness of the aerial shots emphasize how people not only react to the ocean in similar ways, they also all love to do the same things at the beach. As Aguilera continues to focus on his drone photography and his “Thalassophile” series, he is looking to explore other regions as well. His next photos will be of the tulip fields and city of Amsterdam, Holland. He will also continue to explore the sands of Miami Beach and this summer the Caribbean beaches of the Dominican Republic. If you’re interested in working or collaborating with Luis Aguilera, please contact him at luisaguileraphoto@gmail.com.

 

http://www.luisaguilera.me
Next

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Eleanor Petry