Anna Newhoff
NCR Reporter
Realism and self-expression are some of the details painted on the canvas of Callahan artist Brenda Schwend.
Her art journey began in 2017 after her daughter invited her to join an art class at Florida State College of Jacksonville.
“I think anytime my kids ask me to do anything with them is a huge honor, so I said sure,” Schwend said.
After her first class, she continued taking other courses offered at FSCJ, which included one- and two-figure drawing and painting.
As her skill grew, so did the depth of her art. Schwend tried different art styles on different canvases to elevate her painting abilities.
“I’ve done a series of glass paintings on vintage perfume bottles,” she said. “It was abstract and specific, because glass has all those little refractions in it, but when you step away, all the bottles make a specific thing.”
Once Schwend found her medium, she began focusing on the progress of women after her pink kitchen sparked her interest.
“I live in a mid-century house with a pink kitchen. I don’t know if people ask themselves why is the kitchen pink. It kind of started (around the time of Mamie) Eisenhower, when the kitchen was the women’s place so the kitchen was pink,” she said. “So, it got me thinking about the progress of women and just all the advances women have made.”
With inspiration in her mind and a paintbrush in hand, Schwend began creating pieces of art that looked very realistic.
“Everybody has a gift when they start painting, and that becomes evident the more you do it,” Schwend said. “For me, it was realism.”
Her picturesque art shows the advances that women have made over the years, delving into aspects like beauty standards.
“One of the last ones I did was about youth and how women in this country are aged,” Schwend said. “You always hear, ‘Oh man, she’s got a wrinkle.’ Like, that’s just part of living.”
This piece is just one of the 11 that are featured at the FSCJ Kent Gallery in an exhibit titled, “In Her Place: Paintings by Brenda Schwend.” The exhibit opened Tuesday. The art will be in the gallery until Oct. 21.
Schwend’s art is also currently featured in the “60@60: An Alumni Exhibition,” at the FSCJ South Gallery, located at the Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts. The art in the gallery features 60 artworks by 60 artists celebrating the 60th anniversary of FSCJ. The exhibit opened Sept. 4, and the art will be up until Oct. 9. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.
After the galleries are over, Schwend plans to continue her art. She is on the lookout for the next inspiring idea.
“I’m just going to keep working and probably do another in this series,” she said. “It seems to speak to people.”