Brenda Gribbin

Artist Statement:

My acrylic paintings feature botanical forms…living things that grow through harsh times before the nourishing rain and sunshine come. My early story includes hardship and struggle, but I chose to reach for life like a flower emerging through a sidewalk crack. It took years to overcome limiting beliefs, but owning my story moved me toward joy. In those struggling days, I quit college after two semesters. Several life-chapters later, I earned a degree in Art & Performance in my forties…one semester before my oldest child graduated with a business degree. Twenty years later, I’m still writing the ending. Charcoal is critical to my message because it feels like history is in my hand.

My story is in my hand. A charred piece of wood, a black mark, smeared on the page like the cry of a broken heart refusing to allow color…until I erase a bit here…and more there, erasure granting forgiveness and making way for light. Forgiveness brings light. Repetitive lines embody my determination to move on, avoid perfection and seek a new path. A glossy surface contrasts with matte charcoal lines…a shiny new outlook beyond the dark days. Finally, metallic elements represent the healing work of the Holy Spirit, bringing wholeness to my brokenness and beauty to my ashes.

Artist Bio:

I’m Brenda Gribbin, a Native Texan painter and textile artist sharing stories through the lens of botanical symbolism. I loved being a “non-traditional student” at the University of Texas at Dallas, finishing Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Art & Performance in my late 40’s. Since then, I’ve been involved with large public art projects, small group art workshops, community art groups, and even served as an occasional student art competition judge. I’ve exhibited in art group member shows, restaurants, and national juried exhibitions. I was invited to exhibit a solo show for the first time in 2023 at the Lewisville Grand Theater in Lewisville, Texas. The best part of this art life is meeting the wonderful people who commission me to tell their significant stories in a visual language. When I’m not in the studio, I am probably with family…which includes travel whenever we can schedule a trip. If you want to learn more about my work, check out my website or search for my product line on Fine Art America.