Brian Joiner

Jymi Bolden Brian Joiner

Brian Joiner speaks for a half-hour before he even mentions his pig, Pig Dreams. (Better say it was sponsored by Acme Construction here, because there's nowhere else to mention it.) And after briefly sidetracking to swine ­ his pig was the perfect completion of his three-year Portrait Series ­ he returns to previous topics.

Joiner swears he never used to talk this much. But now he has a lot to say. He is in the midst of three new series ­ an Angel Series, a Flower Series and a Soul/Sole Series. The Angel Series will debut in December at the Suzanna Terrill Gallery. The Flower Series is slated for May 2001 and is dedicated to people with cancer and AIDS. The Soul/Sole Series explores "the human journey and how much wear and tear a person can take in a lifetime." That series won't be ready for several years.

Joiner not only does art full-time, he survives by selling his work. He says he takes comfort in believing he is creating a niche for himself.

"There's so many things to experience in the life we are living," he says. "I cannot not do (art) anymore. I have to create."