about my work

I'm Brooke Schmidt ~ born near niagara falls, grew up on the gulf of mexico in florida, spent vacations each summer in ontario and live now in pennsylvania. Being around so much nature deeply influences my work, which is often small, detailed and open to whatever specific story you may see there.

I work in a little white studio in my backyard surrounded by boxes and trays of book words, cocoons, bird skulls, feathers, tiny bottles, pieces of garnet, leaves, wings, chunks of beeswax and measuring tapes. My degree is in painting but I mainly work nowadays on paper ~ sewing, collaging, poem-forming and sculpting from unusual materials.


My altered books include my narrative prose and poetry, often gleaned from within the framework of what is found inside the book; finding my words as part of a larger story already told, much like we do in life.

Hand-sewing is incorporated into my pieces as a way to continue my grandmother Elly's extensive knowledge of that craft, which I watched her slowly forget in her experience with Alzheimers.

Some of my work deals with brevity and solitude and the awkwardness of life, while other works are about connection, cycles, fullness, beauty. The beauty of living, however it is done. I love using objects that are symbolic of these ideas.

Find interviews I've done about my work here

my shop

my photography

email me ~ flypeterfly at hotmail dot com

You can learn more about my life apart from artwork here.

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