Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda McKinney.
Hi Brenda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began making art when I returned to school at the age of twenty-nine to complete my Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design. My initial exposure to studio practice occurred at the community college level, where my coursework included multiple art classes. Prior to this period, I had little formal experience making art.
I spent many years working in the fashion industry in Dallas. In 2001, I made the decision to return to school to pursue a degree in Graphic Design. This course of study required extensive work in design, drawing, and art history. While completing my Communications degree at Brookhaven College, I enrolled in a painting course—an experience that significantly shifted my artistic direction. This led to approximately five years of continued study in painting and printmaking, ultimately culminating in my pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts in Painting at Texas Woman’s University.
During my MFA studies, I became actively involved with the Texas Visual Arts Association, serving on its board for several years and eventually assuming the role of President. Between 2002 and 2008, while completing coursework at the community college level and later at Texas Woman’s University, I began entering juried exhibitions and participating in group shows. I also wrote exhibition proposals and presented portfolios to galleries throughout the Dallas area, both individually and collaboratively.
During this time, I worked alongside three other artists to form The Naturalists, a cohesive exhibition group united by shared thematic concerns in our work. Together, we exhibited as a collective, presenting a unified exploration of nature-based imagery and concepts.
After earning my MFA, I began teaching art at local community colleges in Plano and Dallas. Alongside my teaching practice, I continued to actively produce and exhibit my work, participating in juried group exhibitions and presenting solo shows at a variety of venues. My work has traveled internationally, including multiple group exhibitions in Europe. I have been juried into local, regional, national, and international exhibitions, allowing my work to reach diverse and expanding audiences. In several of these exhibitions, my work has received awards and has been selected for use in promotional materials for future exhibitions.
My work is included in both public and private collections. During this time, I had the opportunity to serve on arts-related boards, later becoming President of the Texas Visual Arts Association and the Dallas Area Fiber Artists. My professional journey also provided the opportunity to curate exhibitions at The Discovery Gallery at Texas Discovery Garden, a role I held for over three years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Among the obstacles I encountered were the inevitable challenges that accompany learning new artistic processes. In addition, I had to develop the professional skills necessary to navigate the art world, including properly entering exhibitions, promoting both my own work and that of collaborators, organizing portfolios for a variety of venues, and coordinating and managing exhibitions.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When asked, “What do you do?” I often find the question difficult to answer, as my practice has evolved through exploration and experimentation. I began my artistic journey by learning to draw, and soon discovered color and paint through the use of oil pastels. My first formal painting experience was with acrylics, where I was drawn to their versatility but challenged by the need to keep the paint workable long enough to achieve the desired effects. During this period, my subject matter focused primarily on florals.
I eventually transitioned to oil paint, which proved to be a more intuitive medium for me. While oils presented challenges different from acrylics—particularly the slow drying time—through experimentation and guidance from others, I learned how to adapt the medium to suit my working process.
As my artistic practice has matured, I have discovered multiple ways to express my creativity, allowing the subject matter and intended outcome to guide my choice of materials and processes. In one body of work, I created a series of mandalas using recycled lottery tickets and postcards, juxtaposing these materials with the conceptual meaning of the artwork. These pieces were symmetrical in composition and grounded in design principles, incorporating geometric shapes and structural elements such as the circle, square, and central focal point.
Over the past five years, my work has evolved toward a more abstract and fluid approach through the use of alcohol ink on Yupo paper. While the materials and methods have shifted, my subject matter continues to be strongly influenced by nature.
If I were to choose the works I am most proud of, they would be my recent pieces created with alcohol ink. My approach to this medium distinguishes my work from others, as I explore its fluidity and unpredictability in ways that are integral to my creative process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stargazergallery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stargazer_gallery/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-mckinney-7987668/
Image Credits
Brenda McKinney
