About Renee Brettler

 

Renee Waldman Brettler was born in 1956 in Sudbury, Ontario, and moved to Toronto at the age of two. 

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Her passion for art began with colouring books and crayons.  However, rather than simply colouring the pictures, she would redraw them on separate pieces of paper. This early discovery of her ability to capture the likeness of  images sparked a lifelong fascination with art. 

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In 1981, while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toronto, Renee held her first successful solo art exhibit at the Del Bello Gallery. Her future in art seemed promising. However, a failing marriage forced her to choose between her heart or economic stability.  Ultimately, she opted for economic stability rather than the uncertainty of life as a struggling artist. To that end, she completed a Bachelor of Education and an Ontario Teaching Certificate.

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Renee remarried, had 3 children and enjoyed a successful 30-year teaching career.  As a Visual Arts Specialist, she found creative ways to integrate the arts into her classroom and school environment.

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Since retiring from teaching in 2014, Renee has turned her attention back to her first love ~  art!

 

Renee is self-taught and works with various mediums including acrylic, oil paint, graphite, charcoal, coloured pencils and pastels.