Virginia Brennan

Welcome to Nag Virginia Brennan!

Artist’s Statement

My work – in graphite, pastel, and acrylic –  is all two-dimensional. I nearly always draw and paint organic things, whether that means flowers, or faces or people or landscapes or animals or some combination of these. I paint and draw in response to my experience of the subject. Many of my paintings and drawings are representational and others build on a representational foundation. I also occasionally paint abstract art. I love both color and form.

For several years, I have worked on figure drawings and portraits. I like to work from life but work from photographs when no model is available. For figure studies, my favorite venue is the gate waiting area at airports, where I can often capture people asleep, reading, or gazing out the window (because they are there to wait and are much less likely to move than people in other places). I also draw people making presentations or in the audience at conferences.

I have a very large family, and family members figure in many of my portraits. I strive to represent the subject’s attitude and personality as part of their appearance.  I draw portraits on commission as well.

I also enjoy drawing and painting racehorses, landscapes, dogs, and flowers. I began serious painting and drawing with flowers.

I have been lucky enough to study with the painters Paula Lachman and Claire O’Malley as well as to take workshops from numerous artists over the years. I graduated from Yale University, where I studied painting and drawing but majored in literature and philosophy.

Contact the artist here.