Valerie Bren­nan has a num­ber of new paint­ings on her web­site that are pri­mar­ily acrylic paint­ings on panel. They are non-representational, but at the same time there is a very clear sub­ject mat­ter to me, while there is not nec­es­sar­ily a nar­ra­tive. I see these paint­ings as abstracted still lifes.

The panel is a good choice for Valerie, as its smoother sur­face allows for the scrap­ing and lay­er­ing of paint. Her pieces look labored, and part of the joy of view­ing her work is implied give and take that results from the ges­tural, sub­tle tex­tures that are present.

All images via her web­site. Check out her blog as well.