Brenda now lives and works in Warburton in the beautiful Yarra Valley. “I have my little studio in my garden at home, overlooking my rainforest garden, where my constant visitors are the cheeky parrots who live in the garden and often pop into the studio when my door is open, hoping for sunflower seeds!”
Married to a music producer, music is a constant in Brenda’s home. “We both have very eclectic taste, so it can range from dreamy ambient, through to jazz, salsa, soul - you name it, we probably play it! I can’t work without it, though occasionally I will listen to a good podcast, if I’m in the mood.”
Brenda works with acrylic paints and soft pastels and describes painting as a constant learning process. “My influences range from Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell… well, really most of the well-known American abstract expressionists of the 50s and 60s!”
“I turn up most days at the canvas, whether I’m in the mood or not. Sometimes magic happens and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s important to show up. I like the challenge of a big canvas. I find it really hard to paint on a very small scale, though I do try sometimes.”
“I recently entered my very first art show and was delighted to win ‘Best in Show’, with some strong competition from over 200 fellow artists! I love where I am in life in general and for me, developing a career at a time when most people are thinking of retiring is a huge plus. As George Eliot said, ‘It’s never too late to be what you might have been!’”
See Forman’s stunning collection of new Brenda Meynell work’s here!