Art by Sydney Bruner

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United States
Champaign, IL
Art by Sydney Bruner

Painter. Interior Design Nerd. Whimsy.

08/16/2026

What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I Grow Up (2026)
16x20”
Acrylic on Canvas

I was probably 8 years old the first time I became aware of my appearance. I was gangly, awkward, and hadn’t grown into my face quite yet. I remember wishing I was older, as if the answer to my problems lied within some Britney Spears perfume smuggled out of my mom’s closet or some roll-on body glitter. I was just a girl, but like most young girls, I wanted to be grown. If I could go back and talk to young Syd, I know I’d sound just like my mother.

“You’ve got all the time in the world to be an adult, just enjoy being a kid,” I’d say.

Then young Syd probably roll her eyes so hard at the adult in front of her as she globbed on another layer of 99¢ lip gloss from the Dollar General.

Strong-willed.

That never went away.

That’s what this painting is about: being a young girl and yearning to be older—cooler, prettier, more accepted. The makeup upgrades, the glitter washes off (in 8-10 business days), but at the end of the day I am still the same chronically shy, awkward little girl that I was back then, and I take a part of that little girl with me everywhere I go.

For as long as I can remember I’ve felt my feelings deeply, and haven’t always known how to express them. Consequently, it’s what’s drawn me to a creative outlet. Understanding this chapter is to make better sense of all the chapters to follow. Here’s to all my big-feeling little freaks. ✨🩷

08/14/2026

Whatever. So what if I liked this trend? Sue me.

08/09/2026

What a trip.

Becoming (2026)
Acrylic on Canvas
30x40”

I started this painting almost a year ago in the Fall. It lingered in my studio, taking up entirely too much space and getting shuffled around regularly to make way for other projects. It sat propped on a table in the middle of the room with its fluorescent red underpainting glowing in the morning light—taunting me on a regular basis of yet another incomplete project. I lost steam early on this one, but the sheer size of the canvas was too large to ignore in my small home studio. Finally, partially out of spite and partially out of renewed interest, I put it back on my easel.

When I originally began, I was processing a lot of grief. I was angry with myself. Angry with others. Angry with the world. Now I sat in the same chair months later, staring before me at this half-finished painting with softer eyes. A lot of life had happened between last Fall and now. I wasn’t angry anymore, but I held space for the woman in me that was.

I don’t find it a coincidence that I chose such a large canvas at such a mentally-taxing period. In some ways, the size of the canvas was directly tied to the size of the emotions I was trying to process. I also now see the irony in attempting to delay this project as a testament to my avoidance around vulnerability. Sitting with this painting in all my uncertainty as I battled self-criticism and doubt felt deeply uncomfortable. But if there’s anything I’ve learned within the last year, it’s that I can do hard things— and in this case, that meant sitting with myself while I finished this painting.

I thought about the person I’ve become in the last year. There are times that uncertainty creeps in, and when it does, it’s no longer paralyzing. I have more tools now, a better support system, and maybe I’m just a tad wiser. In this chapter, I see a glimmer of hope for the person I am, and the person I’m still becoming.

08/06/2026

Sometimes I have to sit back in awe of this life I’ve built. What an insanely beautiful year. Thank you for the birthday wishes. ♥️

07/28/2026

My art frand leaves this week for a new adventure in Boston! Melanie Sartori Art it’s been a privilege to get to know you, learn from you, and watch your talents evolve. I hate to see you go, but I KNOWWW you’re going to do amazing things on the east coast. Rooting for you always.♥️✨

07/23/2026

Happens all the time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sometimes we have to sit with the ugly phase for a bit. It’s easy to quit. It’s easy to rush to the end. It’s harder to sit with it— to move with intention rather than impulse. Every time I sit down to paint, I’m forced to reckon with myself— to listen to my inner critic, make space for her, but ultimately know that she’s not the one running the show. These feelings will pass, but in the meantime I’m gonna make a lil joke about it. ♥️

07/21/2026

Lately I’ve been a big fan of painting things and forgetting to post them. 🤪 Obligatory photo dump. Carry on.

07/09/2026

Just dropped off some prints and small originals to International Galleries inside Lincoln Square Urbana . So much local art and goodies!✨

I love when I get to do cool things with cool businesses. 😎

07/01/2026

Have any of you artists accidentally painted your own foreshadowing? Here’s a doozy.

Life Between Lives
2023
Acrylic on Canvas
20x24”

I painted this one 3 years ago. I was deep in a spirituality rabbit hole, riveted by the flood of concepts surrounding afterlife, mortality, mythology, heaven&hell, past lives, parallel universes, dreams —you get the idea. Anyway, as an artist, the imagery surrounding these topics were particularly fascinating to me. I wanted to create something that felt liminal— something that felt familiar on a subconscious level. In the archways, I’ve painted Morpheus, the Greek God of dreams as well as Hades, the Greek God of the underworld. This provokes the question of: “Am I dreaming—or am I dying?” The crumbling stairway leading towards Hades’ archway is indicative of a crumbling foundation or grip on reality.

So anywayyyy, fast forward three years later. Here I am living in a beautiful 100 year old condo. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, crown molding—all the things that make my heart go “oooooh”. The catch? An old staircase out back that is rapidly crumbling—a real thorn in my side. I don’t know what to make of it other than life imitates art…or whatever. 🙄

Address

Champaign, IL

Website

https://sydneybruner.com/

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