Studio Tour with Trena Brannon

Trena's Illinois Studio

As a child growing up in Michigan, I have always loved drawing and coloring. As much joy as I found in art, when it was time for me to decide on a career direction, I did not even consider it. I did not know any artists, and I did not know what career types were possible. I took the technical route and ended up in Illinois after graduation. I continued to doodle and color on my meeting notes, the grocery list,  and with my children.  In 2004, my dear friend Marge introduced me to rubber stamping and card making, which was the beginning of my art (supplies) obsession. I started with a shoebox of stamping supplies and a spot at the kitchen table to do my art. Eventually, I moved to an area in our basement and bought one of those plastic drawer organizers to hold my supplies. From there, it was just a colorful explosion. I spent all my allowance on art supplies and storage for art supplies. Over time, I acquired a hodgepodge of containers, bins, baskets, cabinets, and shelves. Michaels, Joanne’s, and Hobby Lobby were my favorite places to go on the weekend. All I needed was a coupon.  As with many artists, my creativity evolved. Over time, I expanded my art supplies beyond rubber stamps, ink pads, pencils, and markers. I started drawing more and building my confidence. The Donnas’ - Dewberry and Downey, helped me get comfortable with acrylic paint. Carol DuVall found her way to my TV, and TiVo captured every episode. With encouragement from my family and friends, I started a business selling my greeting cards at art fairs and in local shops.

Trena's studio at her 2015 Michigan apartment

Fast forward to 2015, I moved back to Michigan to work.  We lived in an apartment for two years until we found a house.  I shared the small dining area with my husband. I had about 75% of the room, and he had 25%. It was working for me, but I needed a better storage solution. A trip to IKEA was necessary.  My creativity expanded to digital art - a new rabbit hole of exploration and fun!

Welcome to the studio

When we moved into our house, we continued sharing a common space - about twice the size of the area in our apartment. I maintained my 75%, but it wasn't enough, and my husband needed his own larger space, so he moved out. He found another spot in the house.  Soon after, we moved all of our belongings to Michigan. The art supplies I had in boxes, just waiting for me, were ready to be put in their own spot in our home. Over the years, my creativity has changed, and my style has evolved. I ended up giving away a lot of my supplies which at first was hard, but I found it freed me up to move in new directions. Organizing my creative space is a cycle. I embrace it. 

Trena's studio in her Michigan home

 

Trena Brannon advocates kindness, inclusion, and positivity.

She is an engineer by education, a project manager by experience, and an artist by joy.

Trena has various identities, including illustrator, surface designer, and freelance artist. She finds inspiration everywhere and develops her artwork using a variety of art supplies, found objects, and digital tools. Trena’s illustrations and designs show up in The Brannon Factory® greeting cards, children's books, via licensing, and in teaching. Trena has served on various art and craft design teams and has been published in art and craft magazines.

One of her favorite things to do is talk about possibilities! Trena lives in Southeast Michigan with her husband and art supplies.