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A little more about the artist
The StoryPeople Company, created by artist Brian Andreas over a decade ago, has become well-known both in the United States and internationally. Working with the medium of words, Brian creates various forms of art based on his stories. Most prominently, Brian got his start and continues to work with brightly painted barnwood sculptures. These brilliantly colored works of art are then electronically stamped with a "story" of Brian’s choice.
These stories are truly one of a kind and hundreds of them can be found on matted prints around the country. The stories consist of short verses of poetry or prose, sentimental words that find their way into the hearts of the people they touch. From the inspirational life story of "Illusion of Control" to the more humorous seven levels of hell in "Jello Salad," there is a story for everyone. Brian describes the phenomenon as follows, "Our wish is that other people experience this amazing world we live in as a world of imagination and possibility and healing. We believe our stories do that."
Brian grew up in Chicago and currently lives with his wife Ellen Rockne and their two sons in California. "This is a hard point for me to explain, but I feel that the stories are catalysts and they help give a new form to our unspoken thoughts and feelings," says Brian. His art seems to grow out of a passion to touch as many peoples lives as possible. In reference to his work gaining such notoriety, Brain says: "If anything has changed, having the stories travel so widely has made the world a more intimate place for me, which only leads to more stories." This cycle allows for a wide variety of his artistic pieces to serve their purposes around the world.
Ellen Rockne, Brian’s wife, is also an integral part of StoryPeople. Ellen is an artist and singer who has performed all over the United States. Brian counts on her to give honest opinions that enhance the quality of his work. He relates, "She's a great editor and I count on her critical eye to make a good story even better." She also influences the way things run at StoryPeople, acting as support for Brian. "She has a rare generosity of spirit and that's a large part of why we do things the way we do," Brian describes.
StoryPeople offer their inspirational works of art on many mediums including sculptures, cards and books. This enables Brian’s messages to accompany a variety of products that can fit into many homes. In addition, Brian also takes requests for personal stories and fulfills them when he has the time. He is even generous enough, upon contacting him, to allow his stories to be used for special events such as weddings. Finally, as Brian says,"The stories remind me that wherever we are, we live in the heart of the world." Through hard work and a dedicated spirit, Brian Andreas has managed to make StoryPeople and its’ message a household name throughout the world.