Brenda Gear

Mixed media artist

Artist Statement: “From necessity, creativity: from making paper rolls to making Barbie doll clothes, cardboard box doll houses, mazes in vacant lots. Early childhood experiences in arts and crafts...ignored, criticized, set aside. Stability, career, success?

Finally, an opportunity.

After the years of following that path to security, a chance to explore again: learning to draw and paint at 53.Watercolor, acrylics, collage, Sumi e. Whatever I choose. A new path chosen, the exciting world of abstract mixed mediums. Back to my early childhood of tearing and cutting snips and scraps of this and that. Ever changing thoughts, ideas, colors, shapes and images come to mind... or don't. My work often doesn't have a beginning design concept. Just the handling of papers or looking through magazines, an image, photo or color will take me to studio and pieces come together. I love to incorporate an item that has intrigued me or that I've cherished and kept in my cache of treasures. I like the fluidity of collage and mixed mediums. The layering and challenge to get from beginning to end with no set path to follow. It is often difficult, but I believe the end just finds me. I am drawn to nature and have an inherent need to use materials and reference the beauty found around us. My palettes often reflect earth tones, especially my favorite color, quinazoline gold.”