Renée Brainard Gentz

I am fascinated by the tonal value of color, rough versus smooth, structure versus chaos. Some of my work emphasizes one of these different approaches while some integrates these ideas. My designs are never predetermined, they develop as I go. I work in a deliberate and thoughtful matter until the design problem resolves in a sudden insight.

Renée was born in Albuquerque, and grew up in California. She received her art degree from San Jose State University and has done post-graduate work at the University of New Mexico, studying non-silver photography. In 1994 when her youngest child started kindergarten Renée then found the time to start doing art again. She dyes and paints all her fabric, working with cotton and silk. And then transforms her fabric into vibrant fiber constructions and collages that have been described as “pure visual joy”.

Renee’s work is included in the New Mexico Capitol Art Collection, Harwood Museum, Taos, NM, State of New Mexico, Bernalillo County, (NM) and the Fisherville, VA Medical Center, and Sage College, Albany NY.

One of her quilts is currently on display at the American Embassy in Laos.