Welcome to the colourful world of Brenda Tollefson.  She has lived in southern Saskatchewan all her life.  Like many others her generation, her first art lessons were with John Nagy, learning to draw shapes, shadows, and perspective.  Otherwise, she is a self taught artist.  In her early teens she painted a wall mural of various subjects, adding on to it a bit every year.  She has always loved to draw, mostly with pencil,and trying her hand at indian ink, pastels, watercolours and oils.  Today, she focuses on acrylic and oil.  Her subjects are whatever catches her eye - whatever calls to her, from fish, birds, and flowers, to people, jellybeans, and marbles.  It could be anything.  Her goal is to bring things to life, to paint the unusual, the up close and personal, but more importantly to her is to bring that 'spark of life' to whatever she is creating.  After a period of 25 to 30 years inactivity due to raising a family and career - the sudden tragic death of her younger brother in the fall of 2009,  brought her to rediscover her latent talent.  She found healing when she suddenly started to paint again in 2010.  His portrait was the first thing she painted.  It was effortless and a joy.  Being retired, she can now follow her dream -  to paint.  March of 2010 she was accepted into the Prairie Artists Guild, and with their guidance, encouragement and support she is flourishing like one of the many flowers she paints.  In April of 2010, she sold her first pieces at the Canadian Association of Principals (CAP) conference in Regina, Sask., one going to Alberta, the other here in Saskatchewan.  She loves Beauty.  She loves  Nature.  She loves to create.