Bio /Artist's Statement

Artist's Statement:

My paintings can be described as colorful, intense, vibrant and expressive. I create a vision with such elements as color, texture, light, and surface interest. My work has evolved over 19 years from oil pastel portraits, mostly of children, to representational oil paintings of various subject matter, including portrait and figurative, to my current interest in impressionist color work. 

Several years into my painting career I was compelled to study acting through some happenstance. Through the craft of acting I was able to deeply explore vulnerability and raw, immediate honesty. Part of this inner process was to ask myself "what is it that I really want?" The answer was "to feel love". With that, I knew I needed to express myself through painting again. I'm exploring nostalgia, childhood, and a serene sense of place. When I'm painting in this way, I often enter a meditative state with a feeling of peace and love. I hope you feel it in my paintings. 

Bio:

Born in Frankfort, Indiana, Brenda was raised in Danville, Illinois. Her artistic talent was apparent from an early age. She won several drawing contests and the William A. Arnold Fine Art Scholarship for college. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1987 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design.

She began her career in commercial art in New York City, working for such companies as CBS Records, Time Inc., and Saatchi and Saatchi Advertising. In 2000, in the Phoenix, AZ area Brenda decided to pursue her dream of working as a fine artist.

Brenda began her fine art career by doing portrait commissions, mostly of children and pets, in oil pastel. This was completely self-taught. From there, her interest in other subjects increased, and she decided to study oil painting at the Scottsdale Artist’s School with some of the best painters of our day, including Diane Leonard, Xiang Zhang, Nancy Chaboun, Bye Bitney, and Suzanne Falk and others.

She resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and enjoys spending time with her 3 grown daughters.

Awards and Affiliations

Her work is in many private collections across the United States and Europe. Awards include The John F. Sanders Award of Excellence, The Robeson’s Art Exhibition, First Place Blue Ribbon, and the Scottsdale Art Show, Honorable Mention. Brenda is a juried member of The Arizona Artist’s Guild, The Arizona Art Alliance, and The Portrait Society of America.