ABOUT THE PAINTING STYLE
". . . surreal yet real"  New York Times

Detail photo, to see an overall image of this painting please click here.

Every painting tells a story. Trena’s work reveals its deeper meaning through a connected series of smaller paintings, each a tale in itself. Images overlap in a kaleidoscope of colors depicting the flora, fauna, foods and landscapes that comprise our precious earth, utilizing the vivid acrylic-on-canvas pieces described by one reviewer as transparent painted collages.

This curious and elegant synthesis of realism and imagination in Trena’s art reflects her interest in nature and the environment. Real world visuals come alive through her use of “windows” created by the overlapping images, adding a many layers to the story which becomes deeper the longer one studies the work.
Trena’s unique blending of science, realism and fantasy creates original art where vibrant color and stark white paint compete, contrast and ultimately dance together in breathtaking harmony.

She paints large site-specific and small-scale paintings of allegorical scenes, uniting the stylized shapes with her own harmonious concept of beauty. These compositions are typical of Trena’s distinctive style in that it is a multi-layered montage of brightly lighted, realistically rendered, thematically related scenes and images.

The dimensionality of the work is achieved in many ways: sectional pieces wrap around a corner; or suspend from the ceiling on swivels; unexpected materials such as extra canvas, Plexiglass, twine, or sawdust are often sewn or adhered to the canvas. Different textures, such as matte and gloss, are also often found on a single painting. These techniques combined with the repeated applications of the white on natural canvas, result in an unusual vibrancy and lifelike quality.

All work is Copyright © by Trena, but publishing rights are available for commissioned work.

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