Marty Brens

Marty was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1952.  As a young person she passed a lot of her time drawing, mostly with pen and ink or pencil.  She was encouraged early on by her mother who purchased her first set of pastels in the sixth grade.  From that period on she began playing with other mediums, watercolor, acrylics and oil pastels.  She sold her first watercolor commission at the age of 16, and it was then that she saw the possibilities of painting as a livelihood.  In her twenties she worked in the design field and painted mostly in an abstract style. In 1990 she began to paint with oils on a more serious level, painting outdoors on location, “At this time my interest began to shift to representational work.”

Marty believes that the process of painting is an endless and challenging journey.  “Painting is a humbling experience; every painting is a new lesson in technique. You are constantly being pushed to new levels.    That’s the beauty of the journey!”

Marty chooses to paint intimate, simple compositions. She enjoys painting small parts of a whole; a piece of a mountain, small section of a garden, or intimate close up views. Her compositions seem inspired by a unique point of view.

Marty studied at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and took a commercial advertising course at Platte College in Denver.
She has studied with artists Quang Ho, Kim English, Michelle Torrez, Mark Daily, Lorenzo Chavez, Skip Whitcomb, Kang Cho, Kevin Macpherson, Teresa Vito, George Strickland, and others.

Marty was responsible for raising the funds to bring 7 Russian Impressionists (the Hermitage Group), to the United States seven times between 1990 and 1999. She traveled and studied with them extensively for two to three months at a time for seven years.

Galleries

The Glass Tipi Gallery Ward, CO current
Arts at Denver 2009-2011
Arts at Georgetown 2004 -2007 (closed)
LW Cargo Gallery Manitou Springs (closed)
Abend Gallery, Denver (Christmas Shows)
The Upper Edge Gallery-Snowmass and Aspen-1990-1998
Art on the Move Gallery-Denver- 1989-1990

Art Affiliations

Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters 2004 2005 2006, 2009
California Plein Air Painters 2011-2013
Plein Air Artists Colorado  2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Salida Plein Air event 2009, 2010, 2011
Plein Air Artists Colorado 2009-2012

Shows

“Art for Life”  Abend Gallery, Denver 2012
“Seasons” one woman show Sangre de Cristo Arts Center and Museum 2011
Southern Colorado Open 2011 Honorable mention
Representing the West Sangre de Cristo Arts Center  2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Espiritu Pueblo, CO  2008, 2010, 2011,1012
Plein Air Artists of Colorado juried show  Saks Gallery  2010, 2013
Own Your Own  Sangre de Cristo Arts Center 2006-2013
Saluting Southern Colorado Artists  Canyon City 2006
Bow Wow Benefit, Saks Gallery, Denver 2006 - 2007
Paint the Town Plein Air, Florence, CO 2005
Industrial Strength CFI Exhibition 2005
Sangre de Cristo Arts Center “Own Your Own”  2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Cuchara Hermosa Art Show 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Purely Paint Exhibition-Pueblo 2004
Abend Gallery-Denver-2004 2005 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Christmas exhibitions
Arts at Denver gallery shows 2004 -2006 – 2007,2008,2009,2010
Anderson Studio Show-Denver-2002
Glenwood Springs Art Guild-1999
Aspen Chapel Show-Aspen-1997-1998
Red Brick Arts Center-Aspen-1997
Jazz Aspen-Aspen-1996
Blues and the Arts- Denver 1995
Upper Edge Gallery – Aspen & Snowmass 1990-1999