Terry Brennan began painting in oils in the mid-1980s after viewing a demonstration by an artist on television. With his skills as an engineer, drawing buildings and landscapes came naturally to him.

"It started as a way to help pass the cold Chicago winter evenings and snowy weekends," said Brennan. "Now, living on Hilton Head Island, the local scenery has captured my interest, and painting has become a major part of my life," he adds. "With my first visit to the Lowcountry, I was inspired by the artistic beauty of the marshes, shrimp boats, moss-covered live oaks and the sea. I knew that I would one day want to come here to paint these wonderful subjects."
Brennan and his wife, Joanne, came to Hilton Head in 1993 from Naperville, Ill., where he worked for 35 years at Nicor Gas Co., retiring as vice president of marketing. Once established on the island, he spent three years as Chairman of Public Service District # 1 and also served on Hilton Head Plantation's Covenants Committee. He has been on the Hilton Head Art League Board for three years and is primarily responsible for the successful move of the Art League's Gallery from Sea Pines Center to Pineland Station last year.
Largely a self-taught artist, his paintings reveal an engineer's perception of the scenes he creates. He's taken several workshops with nationally renowned art instructors like Charles GruppE and Tony Couch. He admits to traveling the area with camera and sketchpad, seeking out challenging Lowcountry subjects to include in his paintings.

Brennan credits the new Art League Gallery with his determination to take on ever more challenging subjects in his paintings.

"The Art League Gallery shows the work of so many outstanding local artists that it makes me want to try new and different techniques to improve the quality of my work."

The "Low Country Scenes" show attests to the level of accomplishment by this engineer-turned-artist. The vibrancy of color and deft composition reveal the native talent that explodes on each canvas or sheet of watercolor paper.

He has won several awards for his paintings from the Plantation Artists Association, including the President's Award in 2001.

The Hilton Head Art League is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts in the community and elevating the level of art skills of its member artists. The League was started almost 30 years ago and now boasts a membership of over 900, with more than a third of its members successful artists. It operates a volunteer-managed gallery in Pineland Station, suite 207. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for more information call (843) 681-5060.