About the Artist – Brenda Beattie

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Brenda was born and raised in Banff National Park.

There, she studied at the Banff Center for the Arts, studying with Holly Middleton. Brenda’s love of the mountains is shown in her many mountain scenes. She attended the Kootenay School of Art for 2 years. Then she studied at the University of Alberta under Ilda Lubane. She got married and moved to Ft. McMurray, there she did many pen and ink sketches and watercolours of the fast growing boom town. Her paintings became part of the collections of Syncrude Canada and Redwood Ready mix.

Brenda soon found herself busy with the task or raising 3 daughters and working full time and found time to paint only 3 or 4 paintings a year. She kept her hand in it until her daughters were grown and on their own. She now has the time to dedicate to her art work.

Asked about her influences she replied;

“ My most recent mentor is Eleanor Milne, Eleanor Milne was Canada's Dominion Sculptor from 1961 to 1993. Eleanor has shown me the importance of design and the complex nature of form and space. Eleanor is an artist in every sense of the word. She is so astounding – now in her retirement she is learning computer skills. She has learned all the latest graphics programs and is creating computer art, drawing with an electronic pen and a Wacom Tablet. Her use of color and abstract images and flowing drawings are very inspirational.

I have also been influenced by Morton Baslaw as I taken one of his courses at the Ottawa School of Art. His delight in each brushstroke as he watches the interaction of water and paint on the page is wonderful to observe. I like to quote him when asked what type of painting I do –“interpretive realism” that sums sit up – it is not realism – if you want realism try photography, my work is my interpretation of a scene accompanied by my feelings about it. I draw and paint a lot of different subjects, ranging from flowers and landscapes to the gargoyles on Parliament Hill.”

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