Brett Varney

Brett Varney grew up in Seattle and is a 1988 graduate of the University of Washington. He moved to British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast in 2007 where he now works and lives.

Varney uses hand-cut metallic leaf on some of his works to increase the energy level of his work, using the reflective brilliance that only a metallic surface can provide. Black outlines around the shapes are deliberate and necessary to define and intensify the emotion of his work. In the artist’s own words: “My inspiration is born from the works of the Impressionists and Abstract Expressionists – think Van Gogh meets Kandinsky at Gustave Klimt’s house. I am fascinated by the ability of intense color and texture of line to convey an emotional expression from the artist to the viewer. Working with vivid color oil pastel, I create images that are recognizable to welcome the viewer into the scene.”