Brenda Tollefson

SKNAC bio: Brenda Tollefson was born in 1955 in Kipling, Saskatchewan. She has had an interest in painting and drawing since childhood and as a teenager, worked on a wall mural over a number of years. Still, career and family responsibilities kept Tollefson from pursuing art until 2010, when the sudden and tragic death of her brother led her into painting as a way to heal. She has been painting ever since. Primarily a self-taught artist, Tollefson has used pencil, ink, pastels, and watercolours, and now works mainly in acrylics while experimenting with mixed media. Her subjects are varied and include people, animals, and plants. She writes, "My goal is to bring things to life, to paint the up close and personal, but more importantly to me is to bring that spark of life to whatever I am creating." Tollefson has exhibited her work in Regina at several group shows. She is a member of the Prairie Artists' Guild and the Art Gallery of Regina. In 2011, Tollefson participated in a watercolour workshop with artist Grant Fuller. Brenda Tollefson lives in Emerald Park, Saskatchewan.