Raised in an environment that encouraged creativity, Brenda Novak has been drawing and painting as long as she can remember. An art school dropout, she had careers in graphic design and international development before retiring in 2014. Her current area of focus is her neighborhood on the Connecticut shoreline. In her paintings she attempts to capture the local spirit, peace and beauty, of life along the Long Island Sound. In her daily walks, she notes the ever-changing views of the shore, the Sound, and Long Island in the distance. A recent review of childhood photographs, rediscovered when her mother recently moved to Branford, motivated a second area of exploration. Those images, viewed through the lens of middle age, prompted her to reevaluate those childhood memories and consider their influence on her personal development. She works in acrylic on paper, board, and canvas, sometimes with the addition of ink, pencil, oil pastel, and collage. Education Bard College at Simon’s Rock, AA Liberal Arts Portland School of Art University of Utah, BS Anthropology Thunderbird School of Global Management, MBA International Management Exhibitions 2022 “Artists Invite Artists,” Keyes Gallery, Branford CT 2023 “Brenda Novak + Lisa Arnold,” Keyes Gallery, Branford CT Contact Brenda Novak brenda@brenda-novak.com www.art.brenda-novak.com