Featured Flea Artist: Brian Burks

Above Photo By: Jaysen Brian Burks was raised in the heady Hispanic culture of Arizona and navigated his teen years on a steady diet of comic books and punk rock, all of which contributed to his development as an artist.

An Alabama resident for about a decade, Brian has only recently started creating art full-time but already has a devoted online fanbase. He's also picking up new fans at art shows, conventions, art crawl, farmer's markets, and flea markets all across and around the Birmingham, Alabama area Brian is constantly working on commissions and loves taking other people's ideas and turning them into his own creations.

Brian's currently working on acrylic paintings, ink on paper, recycled mediums, jewelry, and novelty items like magnets and buttons, and will soon be rolling out a line of t-shirts. He shows several times a month, and will be vending at the upcoming Punk Rock Flea Market, The Day of the Dead Festival, and the Pagan Pride Festival in Auburn.

SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT!! PUNK ROCK ART FACEBOOK GROUP!!

The punk rock art group was started by myself and a couple other artists Maryland Garrett being one of them who is also local as you know because all of the other punk rock themed art groups on Facebook had a very elitist and rule heavy feel.... we wanted a positive easy to navigate place for people to share and buy and sell art. We started it about a year and a half ago and it's grown every day since then. We are at almost 8,000 members with many regular contributors. The atmosphere is very positive and anyone from from a stick figure drawing newbie to an experienced fine artist will be welcomed and appreciated. Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/133897800284368/ Q&A HOW MANY PIECES DO YOU CREATE A MONTH? I do probably 30 things a month... I work for 2 to 3 hours after my small kid goes to sleep every night. I will work on up to 10 things at a time adoing a little bit here a little bit there.. and all working a ton of different mediums at the same time cuz I get bored so easily. Right now I'm really into doing ink and watering it down and using it with a paintbrush.

DO YOU WORK ON ART WITH YOUR CHILDREN?

And yet the last two Punk Rock Flea Markets we set a smaller table within our table for my 4 year old daughter and she was able to sell stuff both times. She bought herself nice poop emoji after the last Punk Rock Flea Market with her earnings.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

As far as what inspires me every time I finish something and somebody appreciates it inspires me to keep going. Just the act of creating is my biggest motivator.

Photo by: Jaysen