Lew Brennan

Lew Brennan was born in Brisbane Australia in 1955 painting and drawing from the day he could hold a pencil and selling art by the time he was a teenager, influenced by the artistic lineage through his Mother, Grandfather and Great Grandfather. 

Self taught his passion for realism predates his finding the American Super Realist genre in the 1970’s, a school that captured his attention in his teenage years at a time when Australia was fixated on abstraction and representational styles. He has been committed to his own form of realism throughout his career, reflecting on the rural nature and culture of the region that he lives in and beyond. His subject matter covers a breadth of genre including Equestrian, Portrait, Still Life, Landscape and Narrative. He has lived and worked on a 700 acre farm in Cooran, Queensland, Australia where he has built a home, raised a family and raised cattle and horses until retiring from farming and other work in 2012 to commit to his art full time. 

Brennan has been represented by numerous galleries over the past 30 years in Australia and in the USA where he finds his art to be well received and well supported. His work is held in private collections throughout Australia and Internationally. 

“ My art is the place where realism and a touch of emotion meet each other with varying degrees of the resultant blend. Within my art there is an ongoing search for the true heart of daily country life. It is about getting to the absolute core of reality and place, people, animals and objects represented in such a way that the emotional triggers captured on canvas or paper are transferred to the viewer.” 

Lew has a Masters Degree in Learning Management and has been a Director on several Companies and Not For Profit Organizations. 

ARTISTS STATEMENT

I was born an artist. That’s not to be arrogant, simply reflecting on my earliest memories with pencil in hand. All other enterprises in my life have been an aside to my art. Drawing and painting have been a continuum, committing to realism as a very young artist & working to master my own self taught techniques with my chosen mediums, working mostly in charcoal & in oil paints. To me the art of drawing with a burned stick of wood onto paper is primal in its application & spiritual in its essence. My ultimate goal with each creation is to capture and transfer some level of emotion. The subjects vary but rarely stray too far from respecting small town culture, remote spaces and the living things within them.

- Lew

CV

* Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Prize and National Tour. Finalist. Grafton Regional Gallery 2022

 * Clayton Utz Art Prize . Finalist. Brisbane 2022 

* Naked And Nude Art Prize. Finalist. Manning Regional Gallery. Taree, N S W. 2021. 

* ‘The Spirit Of Pomona’ Solo Exhibition, Juniper Gallery. Pomona Qld. 2021 

* ‘Lethbridge Landscape Prize’ Lethbridge Gallery. Finalist. Brisbane QLD 2021 

* 'New Western Talent’ Exhibition. Western Gallery. Texas. USA 

2020 

* Finalist Lyn McCrea Drawing Prize, Noosa Regional Gallery 2020 Peoples Choice Winner 

* Finalist and Peoples Choice winner Du Rietz Art Award, Gympie Regional Gallery 2020 

* ’A Day In A Life’ Solo Exhibition in partnership with Queensland Gallery Of Modern Art. (GOMA) Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre. QLD 2020. 

* ‘The Last Picture Show’ Frances Keevil Gallery Sydney NSW 

2020. 

* ’Eclectica’ Exhibition. Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre. QLD. 

2019. 

* Finalist and Peoples Choice Winner ‘Du Rietz’ Art Award. Gympie Regional Gallery. QLD 2019. 


* ‘Towards New Ways’ Exhibition, Hyperrealist Magazine, Copro Gallery, Bergamot Arts Centre, Santa Monica California.USA 

2019. 

* ‘EQUUS’ Exhibition. Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney NSW. 2019 

* Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award’. Finalist. Grafton Regional Gallery. Grafton NSW 2017. 


* ‘Equine and Canine’ Exhibition. Manyung Gallery Mt. Eliza VIC. 2018. 


* ‘World Polo Championships Art Exhibition’. Sydney Polo Club. Sydney NSW 2017. 


* ‘Lyn Mc Crea Drawing Prize’. Finalist and Peoples Choice Winner. Noosa Regional Gallery QLD 2018 


* ‘Local Legends’ Exhibition. Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre. Peoples Choice Winner Cooroy QLD 2018. 

* ‘Equestrian’ Exhibition Manyung Gallery MT Eliza VIC 2017. 

* Tall Trees Art Exhibition Peoples Choice Award. Cooran QLD 2017. 


* ‘Equestrian' Exhibition Manyung Gallery Mt. Eliza VIC 2016.


* Tall Trees Art Exhibition Peoples Choice Award. Cooran 

QLD 2014. 

* Tall Trees Art Exhibition Peoples Choice Award. Cooran QLD. 

2013 

* ‘Surruralism’ Solo Exhibition Noosa Regional Gallery Queensland 2002. 


* Hardy Brothers Art Exhibition Brisbane QLD 

2002. 

* Noosa Country Show ‘Open Traditional’ Prize. Pomona QLD 1994. 

* Noosa Country Show ‘Portrait’ Prize. Pomona QLD 1993. 

* ‘Realm’ Glenn Gallery Exhibition Noosa Heads. QLD 1990.

* ‘Selected Survey’ Noosa Regional Gallery. Noosa QLD 1989. 

* ‘Artists Of The Sunshine Coast’ Glenn Gallery. Noosa QLD1989. 

* ‘Painters Eye Camera’s Eye’ Noosa Regional Gallery Noosa QLD 1989. 


* Noosa Country Show ’Drawing’ Prize Pomona QLD 1989. 


* ‘Discover’ Exhibition. Noosa Regional Gallery. Noosa QLD 1987. 

* Noosa Country Show ‘Landscape’ Prize Pomona QLD 1987 

* ‘Rural to Resort’ Solo Exhibition Sketch Gallery Noosa QLD. 1985. 


* Royal National Association Art Prize (Junior Section) ‘Highly 

Commended’ Brisbane. 1972