Today we’d like to introduce you to Breony Jones
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Early Beginnings
I’ve been creating art since I could clutch a crayon in my tiny toddler hands. At just two, I asked my nanna to draw a monkey. Unsatisfied with her stick figure, I insisted on doing it myself. To her surprise, my version actually resembled a monkey, sparking her belief in my talent. From then on, I was gifted pencils and paper, and I haven’t stopped drawing since. My early school years were spent filling sketchbooks with characters inspired by cartoons and video games, and crafting little storybooks to share with classmates.
Growing Up
I come from a unique background, born to a Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy and a U.S. Army soldier but raised by my devoted grandparents. As the only Black girl in my dual-language classes from 2006-2012, I often felt like the “black sheep”—pun intended. But I barely noticed; my obsession with drawing kept me company. By high school, “artist” was my entire identity. I spent every lunch in the art room, attended after-school “art cafes,” guarded a “my-eyes-only” sketchbook, had pieces advance to state and national levels, and proudly served as Art Club President my senior year.
Developing My Style
In high school, I discovered a passion for classic Americana illustration, particularly Norman Rockwell’s work. I was captivated by the romanticized, carefree, and often absurd depictions of childhood, which I tried to emulate in pieces like the humorous and surreal “Kenny’s Slumber Party Nightmare.” Kenny evolved from this Rockwell-inspired series into my most re-drawn character, now featured in comic strips and stand-alone cartoons. My art teacher, Tim McMeans, played a pivotal role during this time. A fine artist himself, he mentored us, pushing us to explore different mediums and techniques. His guidance helped me craft my first true portfolio, leading to just under a $80K scholarship to The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2019.
Art school was a game-changer. I learned artist essentials like how to sell work, take commissions, and, more importantly, how to document and write about what I’m making. Suddenly, I was in a world surrounded by a community of creatives from all over the globe, constantly experimenting, trying to find a balance between being an “illustrator” and a “fine artist.” I couldn’t pick just one—I found myself drawn to oil paints, ink, graphite, watercolor, and digital art. But regardless of the medium, you will always catch glimpses of my identity in my work, like in the Magnum Opus of my college days, “Intruder,” an 18×24 watercolor painting featuring a woman bathing in a brass tub behind a delicate thin veil, surrounded by panthers who are on high alert to a person attempting to enter the space. This piece symbolizes the relationship between the historic role of the Black man protecting his female counterpart in America.
Rebuilding and Moving Forward
After a massive personal upheaval—losing all my savings, battling severe body dysmorphia, and leaving behind my belongings and art in Chicago—I’m now in the process of rebuilding. I’ve reconnected with my faith, turned half of my bedroom into an art studio, and started growing an online presence under the alias “The Bree’s Knees.” Lately, my digital illustrations have taken a colorful turn, with no shortage of pinks, purples, or blues in anything I create, especially in my current comic in development, Sugar Spice, a young adult comic story about three girls who are recruited into a galactic agency to save the universe, all while maintaining their day-to-day lives. Despite everything, I’m hopeful for the future. I’m excited about working on new projects and business ventures. It’s always been a dream of mine to conquer both the world of high art—with its gallery showings and boujee cheese and wines—and the world of cartooning, with crowd-funded comics and animation projects. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll collaborate with a certain company that rhymes with “Snet-Flix,” haha.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being the introspective person I am, I often find myself reflecting on the many obstacles I’ve faced on this journey. One of the earliest challenges was my enrollment in a dual-language program, where anywhere between 50%-80% of the instruction I received in school was in Spanish. My grandparents thought it would be a gentle introduction to a new language since I was already familiar with my alphabet and numbers. Imagine their shock when I started coming home with homework I couldn’t even *begin* to comprehend!
We’d go into a panic, running across the street to knock on neighbors’ doors, desperate for help. Sometimes, we’d be up working into the dead of night, trying to make sense of 3rd-grade level work. I was the only kid who looked like me and didn’t come from a Spanish-speaking family in any of my classes from kindergarten through fifth grade. Six years might not seem like much on paper, but those first few years of school are so crucial in establishing basic traits—like how to make friends, take risks, explore, and learn.
For me, though, development looked a little different. I was plunged into an unfamiliar space, barely understanding half the words spoken to me, constantly second-guessing myself, and feeling insecure with little confirmation that I was doing anything right. On top of that, there was this nagging feeling that I was “missing out” by not being raised by my mom or dad, which weighed heavily on my young spirit. Naturally, I felt like an outcast—no one really spoke to me or spent time with me, and I was pretty lonely during those years. But in that loneliness, I found security in my art.
Even today, I struggle with my identity—my appearance and learning to love myself feel like my own personal Mt. Everest. The insecurities I had back then never really went away; they just evolved into new ones. But those early challenges also planted the seed for my passion: representing people like me in art and media. If you ask me, it’s the odd and misunderstood who deserve art the most.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Today, my art is split into two categories: “fine art” and “illustration.” My fine art, created with oil, acrylic, and other traditional mediums, is still in an experimental phase as I explore painting. These works delve into themes of elevating Blackness and capturing snapshots of my personal experiences.
On the other hand, my illustrations—primarily digital these days—are heavily influenced by early 2000s to 2010s cartoons, as well as anime I grew up watching. I love using fun mediums like watercolor and colored pencils to bring my characters to life, each with their own backstories and worlds.
One of my proudest achievements is documenting my projects online, where I’ve amassed over 19k followers on Instagram. I’m driven by the pursuit of creating more art that I hope will change the world and provoke thought.
How do you define success?
Success, for me, looks like a full-time art career that is far-reaching and impactful for generations to come. Creating commissioned paintings and murals for well-known personalities, illustrating children’s books, developing animated series for kids and adults alike to enjoy, and even owning an art-forward clothing brand are all in my dream journal. I don’t want there to be a day that goes by without paint under my fingernails or without bursting at the seams to create something that moves my spirit and the spirit of others. Success means getting on my knees and thanking God for new opportunities to create, and using my tithes to support children in communities that lack access to creative and intellectual outlets like art, writing, and debate. My grandparents, coming from San Antonio, TX, and Mobile, AL, respectively, grew up in a world I had to learn about in history books. To me, success is showing them a stress-free life as a “thank you” for supporting me every step of the way to becoming the artist I’m working to be.
Pricing:
- Original Paintings (18×24) Starting at $2,500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebreesknees.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thebreesknees?igsh=YXVvMDZvb2UzdDh5&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@_thebreesknees?si=lzmZz31yMaAPnwI4
