About Brenda

I live in Great Linford, Milton Keynes in an apartment with views of the Grand Union Canal and the narrow boats gliding past, the sound of moorhens, herons, woodpeckers, and all other local birds. 

I started drawing almost as soon as I could hold a pencil, but mainly was sketching until I went Art College when living in Lancashire. Having completed the Foundation course, was accepted Winchester School of Art to textile and fashion design, but two years in a family tragedy interrupted my studies. However, I went abroad, worked in a textile studio and had pieces I designed, printed.

Back to the UK, although keeping up with some sketching, changed course and veered into the office world, work and family occupied much of my time. Apart from occasion sketching and watercolour pieces, my art gradually slipped to one side, and so it was for nearly 30 years.

Fast forward to lockdown, for the first time, virtually in my life I had time to think about what I really enjoyed doing, what was it that gave me the most satisfaction, sense of achievement and accomplishment. Drawing. 

Feeling I needed a nudge in that direction, looked online, found an amazing lady, Bonny Snowdon, who had a Patreon tutorial site, signed up, and then thought ‘What have I done?’…. I know how to draw (had done lots of life drawing at college, as well drawing plant life, buildings), however, I hadn’t held a pencil in so long, I thought I might have forgotten how to draw.

Had a stern talk to self, asked myself exactly what I wanted out of the tutorials, did I want to learn any new techniques. It’s a hard one when you’ve been out of the discipline of learning. But with dogged determination, tackling each task, gradually my confidence improved as well as drawing skills, discovering that my love of drawing in colour extended into realism. I have drawn animals (domestic and wild), humans, insects, plants, in fact a variety of subjects.

Recently, I drew one of my son’s childhood toys, Ginger on drafting film, had it framed and gave it to him for his birthday…. I had been at a loss as what to give him, and as it was, he was delighted. Ginger had a history, when my son was 4 years old, Ginger fell on the railway tracks at Glasgow Central Station, and he was distraught until the train left the station and a member of staff jumped down to retrieve him!

Another piece was pencil shavings, again drawn on pastelmat, and although looking complicated, was a bit like knitting…. Just one more piece, then another, until it was finally finished. 

I enjoy working mainly on Pastelmat, a slightly rough textured stiff paper, which allows for quite a few layers of coloured pencil, but have drawn on Polydraw drafting film (a very light touch is required as not many layers can be put down in order to achieve depth and vibrancy). Other papers include watercolour hot pressed, which also takes layering of coloured pencils very well.

The pencils used are artists quality and have been tested for light fastness, very important if doing commissions, the last thing you want is for all the work put into a drawing, to fade.