Join Blue Morning Gallery in recognizing two UWF student scholarship recipients this year, Izzy Braniff and Stephanie Nowlin. Their work will be in the gallery from March 30 through April 26. Join us for First Friday, April 4 from 5:30 – 7:30 for a reception to congratulate them on this honor. We look forward to seeing you there.
Izzy Braniff is an young award-winning artist located on the Florida panhandle. Originally born in China, she moved around coastal America giving her a unique perspective on relationships, spaces, and the self. She works in a myriad of mediums such as textiles, illustration, ceramics, painting, sculpture, and most recently, installation.
Artist statement
The nature of my art making is immediate, impermanent, and fearless. It is everything I am and everything I do, from the way I dress and write, to the way I can’t refuse to collect any shiny object from the sidewalk. Because of this intersection, my work is the expression of the things I love. It is an invitation I share with the viewer: experience who I am and my intimate thoughts. As a means to convey my process and immediacy, I’ve been working with recycled materials and found objects, rejecting capitalistic value. I believe in the art-making process, the creation of imperfect, fun, and welcoming work. Through my art I want to celebrate life, give voices to the meek, open the eyes of the ignorant, and say I love you to the people and world around me.
Stephanie Nowlin is an American artist based in Northwest Florida, currently pursuing a Bachelor of
Fine Arts at the University of West Florida. She works primarily in charcoal, ink, oil paint, and digital.
Prior to college, Stephanie’s artwork has been featured in multiple local festivals in Pensacola, a
well as once in Congress. In the future, she aspires to pursue a master’s degree in the Fine Arts and
share her artistic passion as an educator.
Artist Statement
I work on blend of portraiture and illustration. My personal exploration focuses on identity,
emotional condition, and mental health. Through my ongoing practice, this journey has become
one of healing and self-discovery. I express these themes using traditional mediums such as
charcoal, ink, and most often, oil paint. I frequently draw inspiration from mythology, history, and
religious iconography. I create expressive compositions by combining bold colors, intricate
illustrative detail, and stylized design using the human form. My goal is for the work to resonate with
the viewer on a deep emotional and introspective level. A symbolic open channel of space for self-
reflection, vulnerability, and understanding of the human condition. To me, art is not just a process
of creation, it is a means of connection and personal growth.
