IN Hollywood Magazine featured and Article about Renea called “A MODEL ARTIST: from the Runways to the Galleries”. Click HERE and go to page 24 to read the article on the online magazine, or simply enjoy the full article text below.

 

When ReneaMenzies was about fifteen, she was offered a job as a professional model. For a teenager, the opportunity to leave home for Paris was a dream come true. She was enthralled by getting to live in Europe, Mexico, and Tokyo. Yet, the joys of travel were not enough to outweigh the industry’s drawbacks. “I realized I was modeling because everyone looked up to me for doing it —but I wasn’t happy,” she states. After realizing her time on the runway was done, Menzies packed her belongings to return home to Houston. “People go through life, just having a job,” Menzies muses. “But I’m the type of person that when I realize what I want to do, I’m going to do it.”

 

Upon her return, she worked as a makeup artist. After getting married and becoming a stay-at-home-mom, her love of art returned while taking a non-representational art class. “Abstract art is a distorted version of something,” Menzies explains. “Non-representational art is not supposed to look like anything.” Having never felt comfortable with painting realistic images, she was free when using vibrant colors and shapes to express herself. Menzies also experimented with texture, adding uneven metals, wood, and sand to give the work a tactile feel. Starting out with acrylic, she ultimately moved towards oil. “There’s a hierarchy in painting,” Menzies points out. “You’ll never see an acrylic painting go for a million dollars.” The longevity of oil also makes itmore highly regarded than acrylic or watercolor. The colors are richer, more fade-resistant, and modern oil paint never cracks.

 

As Menzies’ work progressed, it began to take on a sculptural tone. Painting became her passion. After her marriage came to an end, she knew it also had to become her livelihood. Being a full-time artist who sold her work meant a flexible schedule for being with her children, as well as a way to support them. Today, she does just that. Menzies has become renowned for her three-dimensional paintings that have a floral feel. A palette knife is used to pull the oil flowers into shape. Menziestends to work on India panel, as canvas tends to sag from the weight of thicker paint.

 

The pieces can be up to seventy two inches, and are always full of rich color. Blues are used for more soothing pieces. Reds are best for vocalizing passion. “Although, greens are some of my favorite colors,” Menzies laughs. No matter what colors she swirls together, the tactile elements of these paintings emphasize how unusual they are. A print or a photograph can never capture the many details present in the work. “Each petal is its own fingerprint, with three to four colors smeared together— you can’t reproduce that,” Menzies notes.

 

Menzies is grateful for the strong relationships she has with her galleries that display her work regularly. She believes in the importance of interpersonal interaction, having made many of her connections through face-to-face meetings. While currently showing in several resort galleries, Menzies also looks forward to exhibiting in spaces that have year round shows. In the future, working with galleries with larger clienteles is a goal, as well as breaking into the New York Gallery scene.

 

On an artistic level, Menzies always aims to challenge herself. She is determined to keep creating unique pieces that elicit emotion from viewers. She loves pleasing those who love her work. Yet, she also realizes art is subjective. “Artists need to understand: your art won’t be for everybody,” Menzies states. “But you have to be persistent, to do what you love, and to believe in what you create.”

 

Overall, the most important thing to Menzies is that she makes an impact. “I want people to see the work, and to feel emotion,” she smiles. “I want them to walk away, feeling as if they experienced something they’d never seen before.” – Donna Letterese