Loretta Brenneman with her painting Inviting
The PebbleCreek Art Club is very pleased to award Loretta Brenneman Artist of the Month for January 2017. Loretta, mother of three, grandmother of nine and great-grandmother of three, just celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary with her husband, Ron! She is from Portland, Oregon and began painting 30 years ago when she took watercolor and oil painting classes both at a local community college and an Adult Education facility. She realized then that throughout her childhood, she had lived in seven states including Missouri, Arkansas and Idaho, her art was being directly influenced by her memories of their unique physical geography: mountains, lakes and forests. With this in mind, Loretta made plans to continue her exploration into painting.
In 2005 Loretta and Ron moved to PebbleCreek. Three years later Loretta discovered Fred and Lorraine Alves’ Tuesday afternoon painting class and she resumed painting with oils. She praises the Alves who have been very instrumental in her growth as an artist. Loretta then decided to concentrate her efforts in oil painting because she learned that you can correct your mistakes, make changes, and watch the art piece take on a life of its own.
Loretta prefers to paint landscapes and buildings and uses strong hues—especially the primary colors. She sometimes uses photos but often conjures up scenes from her imagination. Her childhood memories and extensive travels in Europe have inspired her color palate and subject choices. She started by copying other artists, and found that to be very beneficial as she learned different nuances of their various painting styles. She considers herself a very methodical painter and enjoys the gradual progression of applying layers of oil paint until they emerge as a work of art.
Loretta’s first painting done in Fred’s class is a French country home which her husband named Inviting. This artwork demonstrates Loretta’s love of color and interest in details. Loretta regards her ability to paint as a gift inspired by the beauty of God’s creation. She says that she is very honored to be named Artist of the Month. You are invited to come see her displays in the Creative Arts Center, and in the Tuscany and Eagle’s Nest Clubhouses.