Gadow
Fine Art
Select Influential Contemporary Artists:
Sonya Skalroff
Christopher Long
Richard Claremont
Peter Fiore
Drew Brophy
Erin Hanson
Select Bibliography
The War of Art, Steven Pressfield
Art Money Success, Maria Brophy
Love People Use Things, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again, Julia Cameron
Permission Granted, Melissa Camara Wilkins
Daily Rituals, Women at Work Mason Currey
Daily Painting, Carol Maine
Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield
Composition of Outdoor Painting, Edgar Payne
Brenda Gadow is a contemporary realist painter whose work explores the emotional and atmospheric qualities of landscape and place. Raised in rural Northeast Pennsylvania, her surroundings shaped a lifelong connection to nature that continues to influence her practice. Working in acrylic and oil, her paintings emphasize light, surface texture, and expressive color to convey a sense of memory and quiet presence.
Gadow earned her BFA in Studio Art from Kutztown University, graduating cum laude. She studied under George Sorrels and Lynn Krizan, developing a strong foundation in both technical skill and conceptual depth. Her work has been featured in juried exhibitions across Pennsylvania and the Northeast, receiving recognition for both landscape and still life subjects.
In 2025, Gadow presented her first solo show, Spring, at Twisted Olive, Bethlehem featuring a body of orchard-inspired paintings that explored themes of growth, memory, and pruning; both literal and emotional. Her paintings have also been exhibited in venues such as the Midnight Gallery, Gallery840, The Twisted Olive, and the Townley House, as well as being included in regional competitions and themed group shows.
She currently maintains studios in Nazareth and Lenoxville, Pennsylvania, and balances her personal work with commissions. Whether depicting tree branches, garden scenes, or everyday objects, Gadow’s work often begins with an emotional connection to place and evolves into richly layered compositions that invite close looking and reflection.