About Brenda Jiral
Since I was a child, I have been drawn to art; to the creative process. I think I've always 'seen' the world a little differently than those around me. Instead of seeing a tree, I saw the individual shapes and patterns the light and shadows made. Rather than a lake, I saw the reflections, each one different than the rest, unique in their beauty, shape and color. I am drawn especially to light and shadow and the contrast between the two. 

The world around me never ceases to inspire me. Everywhere I look, I see beauty and the evidence of a Divine creator. I am a believer and follower of that creator, Jesus Christ. And as we are all created in His image, I find I am most at peace, or myself, when I am creating. When I am interpreting His beauty in my own unique style. The natural world inspires me and draws me closer to the One who created it all. 

I work mainly in watercolors and acrylics, but I also enjoy experimenting with other mediums and new techniques. My favorite subject matter is flowers and still-life's. I am especially drawn to close-up images that fill the canvas or paper. I prefer to paint from photographs that I have taken myself, so I usually take a lot of photos during the warmer months to use as inspiration for my paintings throughout the year. And since photography is another one of my passions, I get to see the world through both a lens and a paintbrush. 

For me, I paint because it's who I am, I cannot seperate myself from my creativity, because it's just as much a part of me as my arms and legs. I feel more like 'myself' when I am creating, so I paint for the sheer pleasure of it. Rene Descartes said 'I think, therefore I am', I would like to take that quote one step further and say that 'I paint, therefore I am'.

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