This January, the Paragon Art Gallery is featuring artist Bren Corn. Bren is a painter foremost but dabbles in a number of mediums, including printmaking and book illustrating. Bren is a mother whose children inspire her to do and be better. She says that parenting helped her to develop her artistic style. “Acrylic painting has a soft spot in my heart because my style came about when I got up in the middle of the night to nurse my babies. I could do a quick sesh for 20-30 minutes and go back to sleep.” Since those days her style has changed and developed into something that is recognized by many around the world.
Other than her children, Bren is deeply inspired by the environment that she has spent the majority of her lifetime in — the Gunnison Valley. She says, “The view never gets boring but I wanted to create something different and create my own Crested Butte by moving buildings, doors, fences, sidewalks, streets, windows, signs, going as far as changing the shapes of the buildings to my liking.” This technique provides her with endless compositions, and she will never run out of ideas for how to paint the town she loves.
Bren comes from a family of farmers who still reside and work in Rush, Colorado and has been creating artwork since she was five years old. She holds to the old-fashioned view that you work for a dollar and you earn a dollar, nothing more and nothing less. “Anything more is a reward, and I am thankful for it,” she says. She brings this approach to her art and to her life in general. Bren has been a member of the Paragon Art Gallery twice, once for five years around 25 years ago while she was attending Western State College (now Western Colorado University) and again when she rejoined in the summer of 2019.
Bren’s work can be appreciated at the Paragon Art Gallery (132 Elk Ave) along with the work of 13 other permanent Gunnison Valley artists and two local guest artists. If you would like to visit with Bren herself, stop by on a Thursday evening this winter season!
While Bren loves to paint Crested Butte, she also likes the city vibe and has painted commissioned cities from around the world. She can paint any place you’ve traveled to and is always up for the challenge. If you would like a commission piece, contact Bren through her website, brencorn.com.