Brenda Mattson was just 7 years old when she received her first set of paints from her grandfather, who taught her to stretch that first canvas. She was immediately fascinated how the old masters made their paintings so life like and exciting. She didn’t know it at the time, but she fell in love with realism. Brenda has spent the years since learning how to improve her techniques to enrich her painting. This learning process has exposed her to a multitude of mediums. In her constant studies and experiments, she has gathered many tips that she enjoys passing along to anyone who wants to learn. She has taught workshops in America, Ireland, Scotland and Italy. Her students enjoy her “hands on” teaching style. However, you can only teach so many workshops in a lifetime and Internet art instruction is a natural next step.

When working in oil, Brenda usually works from reference photos. She sketches the composition on quality surface, moving through the step of monochromatic under painting before beginning “the fun part” of laying in the color. She finishes by using glazes and adds in some finishing touches to further bring out that realism. Good skills along with quality art supplies are critical to the process of oil painting. Brenda prefers Richeson boards, canvases, brushes and oils.

Brenda Mattson is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, a member of the Portrait Society of America, the Salmagundi Club NY. She was Exhibition Chairperson for the International Association of Pastel Societies from 2006-2009 and is Historian for the Great Lakes Pastel Society. In 2009 she received the IAPS Golden Mentor Award and Master Circle Award. Her work has been published in three books and several art magazines. She has a portrait of President Ford in the permanent collection of the Gerald R. Ford Museum and two paintings of the Reagan ranch in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Gallery. Brenda’s work has been in Museums and Galleries nationally and internationally and in corporate and private collections for many years.