Brenda Barceló
My name is Brenda Barceló and I live in Chimacum Valley, Washington. I’m a self-taught artist. My experience over the past few decades had been in wood carving, but a horrendous fire that took our California home in August of 2020 also did away with my collections of balsa wood carved pieces, which only survive in my Dance in Wood website. Somehow, and without even being aware of it, my artistic inclination then switched from wood carving to drawing. It felt as if returning to wood carving would bring back such painful memories, I had to leave it behind with the rest of our personal physical and emotional possessions. I started drawing at the beginning of the pandemic, in March of 2020. I’ve found this art form to be very satisfying and stimulating, especially when it comes to portrait work. I’ve drawn portraits of friends, acquaintances, family members, pets, as well as unknown individuals, whose expressions have made an impression on me. In all instances, my attempt has always been to capture a certain gesture, an air of the person or animal being portrayed. I base my work mostly on photographs, but I also draw live models.? In this site, I’ve included many of my drawings, some in charcoal, but most in graphite, my preferred medium. I use only the most basic tools: pencils, charcoal, erasers, tortillions, and the like. I never utilize any app or shortcut of any kind. It’s all a work of love and observation.
Art CV
All the artwork I created for over 20 years, which consisted of dance figures carved out of blocks of balsa wood, was sadly burned along with my home and all my possessions, during the horrendous CZU fire (California) in 2020. Please see “My Story”.
Physical Art Exhibits
December 2021-January 2022
Port Ludlow Art League, Port Ludlow, WA
Exhibited one portrait in graphite and one drawing in charcoal during the “Winter Wonderland” show.
February 2022
Port Townsend Quimper Arts Show, Port Townsend, WA
Exhibited nine drawings in graphite and charcoal.
February and March 2022
Port Ludlow Art League, Port Ludlow, WA
Exhibited one theme drawings in graphite during the “Shades of Red” show.
July through September 2022
Port Angeles, Professional Office, Port Angeles, WA
Invited to exhibit 16 framed pieces in graphite and charcoal.
December 2022
Port Ludlow Art League, Port Ludlow, WA
Invited as Artist of the Month to display ten framed pieces in graphite and charcoal.