Brennen McElhaney was born in 1968 in Santa Barbara, California. He studied fine art and illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Back in California, Brennen married Sheila Springer in 1992. As newly-weds they had the opportunity to run a fine art gallery.
Brennen went on to have one-man art shows at the Delphine Gallery, the Hahn-Horn Gallery, Gallery 113, the Faulkner Gallery, Sterling K Gallery, the University Club of Santa Barbara, Antioch University and the Gallery Off Grand (Los Olivos, Ca.). During that time he served on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Art Association.
In 2005, Brennen, along with his wife and their three children, relocated from Southern California to Western North Carolina. They live in Fletcher (near Asheville) NC. He is currently working on a series of landscape paintings of Western North Carolina, and the surrounding areas.
My paintings are a personal record, a visual journal of scenes that have caught my attention. My goal is to document the beauty that I see in the landscape, and create a record of my impression for others (and myself) to enjoy.
My artistic process relies heavily on observation — that is to say I trust my eyes to "tell" me what to put on the canvas, how to paint it, what is important, and what is not.
Recurring subject matter in my landscapes are mountains, trees, rivers and lakes, cityscapes and architecture.
My current work is optimistic, reflecting a sense of contentment with my home in Western North Carolina and my appreciation of the breathtaking scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Farm on Gap Creek Rd
View from Lookout Mountain
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