Twitch Community Profile – Tworaindrops1986 (USA)
One of the wonderful things about Twitch DNB is that alongside getting to know the streamers, in terms of style, attitude and character, there is also a beautiful chat community within from all walks of life, and many with talents of their own that are not necessarily publicised.
One of the ambitions we had here at INSIDE DNB, even right from the start, was to really help the community grow, away from the confines of Discord and social media and Twitch itself, and expose the talents and achievements of those individuals ‘in the crowd’.
Brandy Gibbins-Dorr (AKA Tworaindrops1986) is just one of the people we wanted to talk to, because she is an amazing artist and an ambassador for people.
Art is a beautiful thing. We’ve loved it forever, and that love ranges from the Renaissance and the Dutch Masters right the way through to modern street art and everything else in between. Brandy not only expresses herself through her art, but also works in an environment that supports other people through art and self-expression.
We are hoping that this is just the first of a long line of interviews that will help the Twitch DNB community get to know each other just that little bit better. INSIDE DNB proudly bring you – Brandy Gibbins-Dorr!
Brandy! Welcome INSIDE!
Hey, thanks!
Firstly, you’re part of the Oregon DNB community as well as the Twitch DNB crew. We did an interview with Juice DNB a while ago. Oregon seems like a pretty cool place to live! Are you from there originally? I get the impression that it’s kind of a ‘go to’ place for people wanting something a little different in terms of art and culture?
I am originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. Much of my childhood before moving to Oregon in 1997 was spent moving around a lot, from state to state and between relatives, since my mother was inept to take care of me. Growing up in a city that never sleeps and is quite literally known for it’s sins, there are constant cries in the distance of whaling sirens amongst the thick stench of regrets.
With cortisol levels high, energy was invariably being drained in order to survive the unforgivable pelting sun. I spent summer 1996 in Merlin, Oregon in a house tucked into the side of a mountain and I finally learned the word, “peace”. I somehow always knew I wanted to live amongst the mossy trees, moody weather and clean, unsoiled air. Finally, being in an environment where I could get out of the fight or flight narrative I played most my life, allowed me to tap into a creative side that begged to come out.
We fell in love with your art the second we saw it. It’s a big thing for us, and in real life we’ve always tried to support artists by buying their work whenever possible. How did your artistic journey start? Take us back to the very beginning!
I spent so much time as a child trying to entertain myself, seeking therapy in colouring books. I began to play with highlights and shading at a young age and grew to be proud of this new skill. In high school my love for paint developed after discovering the textures I could create. I was obsessed with the way art made me feel, instead of just focusing on the visual stimulation. This experience was undoubtedly visceral for me. I started to explore this medium in hopes to dramatically express the angst of a teenage revolutionary that was trapped inside.
So, when did you realise that you had something tangible in your control? Something you were happy to call art and happy to have created?
I painted for years and doubted myself for the longest time, because it was so hard for me to be acceptable with the pure rawness displayed. It was like a window was wide open and all I wanted to do was shelter behind the curtains. Once I realized I could use my art to tell a story of the pains I felt, and potentially inspire and give hope to others is when I started to see how powerful my art could be. I started to think about how I wanted to be remembered and what was going to be my legacy and realized art was my gift.
We’ve talked to a lot of producers who almost never know when to stop on a piece of music (which is audio art as far as we’re concerned) in order for it to be deemed as finished. So, what markers do you set for yourself so you know when you’ve achieved what you set out to do?
I usually start a canvas with a repressed emotion leading the directionless strokes. This freedom enables me to tap into a composition and tighten up the focus. It always starts as loose perception before any sense of control is developed. Naturally, I am a rebel at heart, a true rule breaker and casualty of authority. Often, I take breaks and step back to fully look at what is coming to life and sit with it. I do have a highly energetic, somewhat aggressive and chaotic headspace that can sometimes present itself in my busy, abstract art and I have to be careful of it not cluttering my work.
I guess you have an idea of what you want the piece to look like at the start, but how often does it end up looking the same way as you imagined?
Each painting I create is a journey and through each painting there are stages where I want to set the painting on fire. I have to force myself to keep pushing past the discomfort in the undertones and trust in the ebb and flow. Layer by layer the painting transforms and you have to learn to be fluid with it’s shifts, just as life presents.
You see to have two very distinct styles. The monochrome work with a focus on portraiture and the human form, and then the colour work which is busy and bright. The two are equally impactful. Do you have a preference?
As a child I was made to feel ashamed for being different and so much attention was built around staying in the norms of society. I use my busy abstract work as a way to free my inner juvenile emotions. The other side of my personality is much more calm, collective, established and mature. The heart bleeds so many colours and the mind is very much black and white, together you get two diverse styles of surrealism and impressionism blending.
I’m guessing with the colour work you have the space to embed hidden references and key items of importance? Kind of a message within a message?
This is the fun thing about art, you get to play with how people perceive your art. I tend to use composition to really force the viewer to move all around the painting, rather than one rigorous focal point that draws your attention away from the smaller details.
You come across as a spiritual woman. Do you incorporate your spiritualty and your beliefs into your work?
I have done a few spiritual paintings depicting the evils vs. good that lies within each of our conscience. I like to challenge the ideas of simple mindedness and make things uncomfortable, pushing the viewer to look deeper. “The Last Bonetone” painting reference to the famous “Last Supper” painting by Leonardo da Vinci was designed to challenge the viewer to see things differently. I wanted to play on an image so widely known and give it a modern day spin on the world I am living in today.
‘The Last Bonetone’
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Gold Leaf – 5FTx3FT
This painting started out completely different. I was in a dark place after the death of my stepfather and mixed a bunch of blue paints and effortlessly poured it over the entire canvas in one of those marble like effects. You can see the original painting in the tiles on the bar and lamp above Zykes. I had no idea it was going to turn into this rendition of the famous Last Supper painting. Face by face, it slowly came alive. I had no deadline, and this allowed me to spend a lot of time lost between reality and the layers of paint that seemed to blanket me.
This piece is dedicated to the friends whom we love so much and rarely get to see. Life is short and I’ve always painted other people’s lives and places I’ve never even seen with my own two eyes. I put so much focus into recreating the life around me that most don’t ever see. This painting holds just a small piece of the Drum and Bass and Jungle community I love. I wanted to pay tribute to some of the most influential and talented people that have inspired me.
From Left to Right,
CH McKillington, Mindy McKillington, Mike Winckler, Roman Robb, Sean Weathers, Joey Marin, Daniel Dorr, Jose Rodriguez, Justin Dilbeck, Ernest Alvarado, Stefanie Haze, Chris Thejunglist, Audio1, Michael Remson, Anthoney Hines
Are there any moments when you sit in front of a blank canvas with NO idea about what you’re going to do and just work directly from the heart, or is most work pre-planned?
I have only done this at times of misery, when my brain is too clouded to make a straight line. If I am in distress, my mind limits me from making anything tangible. At times I have felt blocked and needed to release messy feelings through messy paints. Usually, when I begin a painting It’s because this idea has sat and festered for awhile.
One of the reasons INSIDE DNB exists is that it gives us a creative outlet. A space to work and develop ideas and keep a busy mind active. It’s a challenge. What are your main reasons for painting?
I have a complicated and engaged brain that seems to only quiet down when I paint. It is truly the only time I can stop dissecting and over processing and be free from myself, essentially. It is my meditation and grounds me and gives me the patience I need to endure this world.
One of the things we do know about you, is that you are a volunteer for an organisation that helps with suicide prevention. That is one heck of a task and an incredibly valiant thing to do. How did you get into that, and how do you find it?
I was introduced to Life Art from a colleague from college, Caroline Wassick, who had previously been volunteering for the non-profit program. I realised the importance this program would have had in my own life had there been something like this when I needed it as a young adult and was hooked. I have been practicing Art Therapy since 2013, strengthening social and emotional behaviours through painting, by disconnecting from the elements of stress, insecurities and constant worry and channelling to let go of some of those emotions through art.
I used to let anger control more than I like to admit and Art has given me the power to take control of those feelings. Much of my life I have lived in the shadows, begging for love and acceptance and the attention that accompanies. Art has allowed me to experience what a lonely child has always dreamt of.
You’re helping others to heal through the medium of art?
As crazy as this sounds, yes. Art is an outlet that allows you to express yourself without the confinement of structure and release emotions and energy that have been imprisoned. For some, the hardest part is letting go of unwanted negativity and art calms your soul enough to start this process. There is still animosity towards acknowledging and admitting to struggling with mental health. I am no longer ashamed and hope I can give the courage to others to seek help. Statistically, I have beat the odds and I owe it all to freedom of expression through Art.
That must have an impact on your work as well though right? There’s a whole heap of topical subject matter wrapped up in that work alone?
Each painting I create is an exploration, foraging through some deeply rooted dark emotions that I deliver with each brush stroke. Some of my paintings are soft with light continuous movements, using circles to envelope the viewer. When I myself are feeling jaded and disconnected, I use jagged and rough lines with splatters and sharp edges to showcase the turmoil within. I tend to gravitate towards subject matter’s that are often misunderstood, dark and give space to the beauty within the macabre.
On to Twitch DNB then, and the reason we even met you in the first place. It’s something quite unique and possibly difficult for people not familiar with it to grasp. How would you describe what it means to you, and what is it that is so special?
I will admit, I was sceptical of the platform before I decided to try it. The community of this unique group of people who crave that social interaction is what drew me in. Together we found connectivity through music that has opened doors that I never thought were conceivable. Going through the pandemic proved just how lonely the world can be. It forced a lot of people to try and become friends with their thoughts. Twitch has allowed this misfit to discover a sense of belonging within the online community.
We’ll second that! We firmly include ourselves within that bracket, and are blimmin’ proud of it! You also a have a very special significant other within the community. Spill the beans!
I am married to Dan Dorr, DJ Resolve on Twitch. Dan and I are celebrating our 11th year of marriage this October and have been together almost 13 years. Dan and I are another internet relationship success story. We met online on Craigslist and even lived in different states. What started off as a friendly connection, quickly turned into romance once we met in person.
Amazing! But what about drum and bass. How did you discover it, and what is it about it that you love so much?
Before I met Dan, I had only experienced a handful of events where electronic house music was heavily pushed. I had little knowledge of the underground DNB community that was quickly emerging. Instantly I fell in love with this kind of music. Finally, I was able to listen to something more creative than a simple repetitive intro, ballad and chorus. DNB can be so complex. It forces you to break down the melody and bass and move through the build where they come together in perfect agreement.
We’ve featured some of your favourite pieces of your own work in this interview. Tell us a bit about them and the back story, and also with the portraits, who are they of?
‘Saving Private Liberty’
The black and white solider with the rainbow abstract background. Some of the most memorable paintings in history have unapologetically invoked types of emotion. At this time in my life, political issues seemed to be taking over and breaking bonds over beliefs. I was asked to be apart of a political art show and I wanted to beautify the division, to show that it is okay to disagree and still be civil and respectful of one another.
‘Boarders’
This painting was commission by Phil Ortega, the founder of the Life Art Program. He reached out to me to create a piece to represent the repression that minorities face. This was during a time when stories of immigrants were surfacing that displayed the horrors they faced to survive. I wanted to show an elderly woman who was at the end of a lifetime of fighting and show each wrinkle as a sign of strength.
I wanted to express how deeply tired this soul was and that something was so close, yet unattainable. I wanted to express the need for freedom and the realisation that so many die fighting for a better life. The barbed wire I chose to do in gold to represent the breakdown between poverty and the power that is constantly held over them in such high regard.
‘Can’t keep your hands to yourself’
This painting was made to represent the way boundaries are crossed by displaying a woman with an uncomfortable glare, surrounded by hands, tugging and pulling. Some of the hands represent the expectations to be poised so perfectly and the control other’s can have over someone.
‘Nothin’ but time’
This portrait was created to draw attention to the ever growing homeless crisis and show that underneath all the dirt and grime are people who have just become lost but still are people. We tend to shy away from the damp beggar on the corner, when a little act of kindness can go so far. My mother has been homeless off and on for the last 6 years and for so long it was kept a secret. I am still learning to accept the things that I cannot change and the things that have made me. I hope that when my mother is out there, she is treated with some decency and kindness.
‘Temptation’
While in the middle of developing my style I used to study old Renaissance paintings and wanted to challenge myself to paint in such a light way. I used to paint only with bright thick paints in an impasto, textured style, often using palate knives. I wanted to grow as a painter and see what I was truly capable of and adapted into the style I am known for today.
‘Hermaphroditus’
I find beauty in things that are controversial and like to challenge my own conceptions of beauty and what better way to display this than with this portrait selection. It is important to confront that unconscious bias and this painting does exactly that.
‘Silently Suffocating’
This was actually a self portrait without the use of my face. This piece was made to show what’s underneath the surface. The foundation of the background is crumbling and unstable, meant to speak for my childhood. The broken mannequins are designed to represent the way I have been broken, leaving pieces behind. The tall figure is representative of how I have managed to not let myself completely fall apart.
Life is about the impressions you leave that you will be remembered by. There are many hidden meanings in this painting, one being the EXIT sign. This is to represent my exiting seeking behaviour’s that have followed me through my journey. I do not like to give away all the secrets. I like the viewer to depict my art through their own lens, which can be such a different experience for everyone. I usually don’t give too much description with my art, because I don’t like to rob people of their own connections to the paintings with minimal direction.
‘Help’
I was a victim of domestic abuse, suffered at the hand of my first husband. In sign language this is the sign for help. It is placed behind the back to highlight the urge to ask for help but the very real fear of confronting and admitting the abuse.
‘I’m not broken’
This painting was made to bring awareness for suicide prevention. This induvial has struggled with depression and has scars to prove it. But there is something powerful in letting the world see your scars and remember how much you have healed. Suicide in still such a taboo subject and I like to make people step out of themselves into someone else’s experiences.
‘Portrait of a Guilty Man’
This is an actual mugshot of my biological father whom I have never met. This was the first photo I ever seen of him that took years of searching for. My father had been incarcerated for most of my life and left before I was born. He has the word guilty tattooed across his neck which is such a statement on it’s own. I painted this as a way to accept where I came from and show the world that I am not confined by my parents stories.
‘Aw Pitts’
This was re-created from an actual photo of actor Michael Pitt, taken by my favourite photographer Larry Clark. I have admired Clark’s controversial work for years and have always loved this portrait. This painting proudly hangs in my home and was the first black and white portraiture I attempted.
Thank you so much for that Brandy. We agree that the way the viewer perceives art is important, but the background knowledge also really helps. It adds a second dimension to what the viewer have first imagined.
You run wine and paint evenings. This looks fun!! Please tell us a bit more about those!
I started teaching group step by step painting classes through Life Art for youth and found a passion through the process. I developed this new way of thinking about my landscape paintings in shapes and it made it such an easy process to follow. I love when someone enters with apprehension and seeing them transform with confidence throughout the class. I have taught classes through Speak Easy Bar, Life Art Gallery, 30 North Gallery & private events.
One thing that seems really obvious is that you’re a people person, but as an artist and a contemplator you also like your own space, right?
I am the true definition of an ambivert. I like to find balance between sharing laughs and complete isolation. I love to engage and connect with individuals but also need to decompress and recharge. When I used to paint in high school I used to set myself up in the back of class, discretely tucked into a corner and far away from distractions. I used to be so private and had to build confidence over the years to be able to do live painting at events.
We can completely relate to this! Finally, then tell us a bit about your future plans as an artist and what other areas of creativity you wish to explore in the future.
I have just recently got accepted into tattoo school and can’t wait to pursue this new adventure. I am completely invested in this transition and look forward to when classes actually begin in 2023. I methodically chose a school here locally that can provide me the best one on one opportunity in a lucrative, private school at Southern Oregon Tattoo Academy.
Spots are extremely limited and I will be attending the summer 2023 class. I am starting to focus on smaller designs that are attainable for tattooing and developing a style that’s going to set me apart from a lot of my competition. I am also currently heavily involved in completing a few commissions that seem to keep me busy. It gives me the greatest joy to be able to make a wage on a talent that is also so good for my creative soul.
That sounds absolutely wicked! Fair play. Your Twitch Handle is quite uniqueTworaindrops1986. What does it mean?
Tworaindrops is personal to me and represents the native American side of me. I adapted this relationship with rain, and somehow even though we lived in the dessert, it seemed to rain often when we moved. I noticed the way rain made me feel and watched as others ran to hide from it, while I danced barefoot. I was at my happiest being drenched in the smell of newly soaked concrete. I also have this weird fascination with watching the rain collect on a window and slide down
FIND OUT MORE HERE:
https://brandygibbinsdorr.wordpress.com/
Brandy Gibbins Dorr Artist (@tworaindrops1986) • Instagram photos and videos
https://medfordlifeart.wixsite.com/lifeart
https://www.facebook.com/lifeartprogram/
https://www.instagram.com/lifeart312/?hl=en
