By Bonnie Gangelhoff
Brent Jensen’s love for the outdoors stems from his rural upbringing in the picturesque rolling hills of Wyoming. Today, as a plein-air painter, his mission is to stay true to the color variations he finds in nature. Jensen describes his style of painting as impressionistic, in the tradition of both the early California plein-air artists and the French Impressionists such as Camille Pissarro.
“When I am painting, I am always thinking that I want to give people just the idea of what they are looking at rather than a statement of reality,” Jensen explains. “The power of suggestion makes a much stronger statement.”
Although he lives in Southern California, it’s the central coast near Carmel and Monterey where he finds some of his greatest inspiration. Whether he paints by the sea or sets up an easel nestled in the mountains, Jensen’s main goal is to provide an antidote to modern-day existence. “We all lead such hectic lives,” he explains. “I want people to come to my paintings and have the works bring them peace and solace.”
Jensen recently won an honorable mention award at the Salon International show held at Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, TX. The artist is represented by Tirage Fine Art, Pasadena, CA; Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX; Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA; Addison Gallery, West Palm Beach and Boca Raton, FL; and Amsterdam Whitney International Fine Art, New York, NY.
Featured in “Artists to Watch” August 2006