Whimsy Parlor
The Artistic Pursuits of Gavin Kendrick Brown
Illustrator, Filmmaker, Actor, Graphic Designer, Writer, Photographer, and Songwriter
Illustrations
The following is a collection of original assets created for the fictional food-themed NES adventure game Kitchen Fencer. Designed to capture the visual style and spirit of classic 8-bit adventure titles, this project includes character and monster concept art, sprite designs, and in-game screenshots that bring the imagined world of Kitchen Fencer to life.
Video
All videos are written, directed, filmed, and edited by Gavin Kendrick Brown
The Scarecrow & the Forager
A short form video about a scarecrow falling in love.
Starring Corinna Ortiz as the woman and Gavin Kendrick Brown as the scarecrow.
Song Credit: “Lucky Sometimes” by Pokey LaFarge
The Path Less Travelled
A short form video about taking the scenic route and finding unexpected beauty.
Starring Gavin Kendrick Brown
Music Credit: “Cliquot” by Beirut
The Loose Key
A short film about two friends retracing their steps to find a lost house key and turning the task into an adventure.
Starring Gavin Kendrick Brown and Dean Chittenden
Big Scaries T-Shirts
A merchandise ad for the folk band Big Scaries.
Starring Gavin Kendrick Brown and Dean Chittenden.
Lucy in the Lighthouse
A promo created for social media to advertise the release of the single “Lucy in the Lighthouse” by Big Scaries. It contains footage from outings with friends.
Born to Dally
A short form video about taking things slowly and enjoying the little things.
Starring Gavin Kendrick Brown
Music Credit: “Chinese Translation” by M. Ward
Picnic in the Country
A short form video of wandering out to nature and having a relaxing picnic with a book.
Starring Gavin Kendrick Brown
Music Credit: “Chloe” by Father John Misty
Lucy is Sentimental
A social media promo for the release of the single “Lucy is Sentimental” by Big Scaries.
Animation
Port Lebeauco
A brief animation of the streets of a pirate-infested coastal town at night.
Ho There, Traveler
A comedic animation short about a mischievous frog fairy convincing a young man to explore the unknown.
All characters voiced by Gavin Kendrick Brown
Ramshackle Inn
A scenic animation of a serene night outside an adventurer’s inn.
Graphic Design
The following is a fictional NES game manual created for the imaginary title Kitchen Fencer (see Illustration). Designed as a humorous artifact, the project imagines a poorly translated Japanese-to-English game manual featuring quirky localization errors and retro gaming aesthetics. The logo and all original character designs were created by Gavin Kendrick Brown.
Music
Van Tassel’s Uncanny Elixir
Van Tassel's Uncanny Elixir is an archaic Autumn-themed folk outfit bloomed by multi-instrumentalist Gavin Kendrick Brown in Grand Rapids, MI. Concocting a mixture of sundry romantic genres such as 60s folk pop, world music, and jazz manouche, The Van Tassels aim for an eccentric, dreamy soundscape dazzled with nostalgic imagery, powerful choral vocals, and the ethereal resonance of yesteryear. Their swinging, ghostly melodies have been heard in various intimate and enchanting settings from the whimsical Southern countryside of North Carolina to the warm nooks of the European hamlets that inspire the very music they croon. Brown has been accompanied by numerous performers including Lore Signore, St. Joe Jack, and Avocadsquad vocalist Meredith Hague.
Big Scaries
Big Scaries is an indie folk outfit from Grand Rapids, MI, built on the unlikely union of two longtime friends and songwriters Dean Chittenden and Gavin Kendrick Brown. Dean was busy fronting the indie pop band Bedroom Ceilings while Gavin was pursuing the darker folk sounds of Van Tassel’s Uncanny Elixir. Despite Gavin’s one stipulation—“It cannot be folk music”—Dean eventually coaxed him into writing together. Their first collaboration was for the New Moon songwriting competition, which pairs musicians who’ve never worked together before. The result, Lucy is Sentimental, was filled with ukulele, guitar, and warm harmonies—folky to the core. Though they didn’t win, the spark was undeniable, and Big Scaries was born.
The duo’s debut EP, Lucy in the Lighthouse, introduced listeners to their storytelling style through the perspective of Lucy, a character navigating love, memories, and melancholy on the shoreline. Now at work on their second concept EP, which follows the tale of Margot, the band continues to craft songs that embrace the nostalgic, the heartfelt, and the beautifully strange.
ABOUT
Gavin Kendrick Brown
Gavin Kendrick Brown is a multi-faceted creative based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with more than 20 years of experience spanning design, storytelling, music, photography, and video production. His career has taken him across a wide range of creative industries, from writing music and lyrics for an Off-Broadway production to capturing promotional photography featured on the One Times Square billboard. His work has also included touring Europe as a singer-songwriter, appearing in commercial campaigns for clients such as Expedia, and writing and illustrating a multi-volume graphic novel series.
As a freelance creative, Gavin has partnered with businesses, artists, and organizations to produce compelling visual and written content across video production, graphic design, apparel design, marketing and advertising, concert and event posters, album artwork, photography, and copywriting. Whether developing a brand identity, documenting an event, or creating original artwork, he approaches every project with equal parts strategy and imagination.
Rather than specializing in a single discipline, Gavin thrives at the intersection of many. His broad creative background allows him to see projects from multiple perspectives, connect ideas across mediums, and craft cohesive experiences that balance storytelling, design, and functionality.
Outside of client work, Gavin continues to explore own creative pursuits through personal projects. He performs original music with the folk bands Big Scaries and Van Tassel's Uncanny Elixir, creates videos celebrating the beauty of taking the scenic route through life, illustrates cartoons, and is currently writing and illustrating his next graphic novel.
Contact Gavin, why dontcha!
To inquire about acquiring Gavin’s services, please email:
whimsyparlor@gmail.com