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Brenda Little
Brenda Little Munsch is a native Texan, born in Victoria,
Texas. While her dad worked for Humber Oil
(now EXXON), she moved many times following the rigs. One move that stands out in her memory was when they lived near
the famous King Ranch outside of Kingsville, Texas.
By the age of 8
years she had already felt the pull toward art. She recalls the first thing she drew that awakened her desire to
create. A sketch of a boy on a can of
soup began a lifelong fascination with the creative process!
For the most part
Brenda is self-taught. Like most
artists, she studies the masters. She
believes that time is ultimately the test of good art. The masterpieces of the great painters are
still exciting and never tiring to look at." Brenda has had the privilege of knowing an artist in Rockport,
Texas that she respects enough to label a "living master." That artist is Simon Michael and his
philosophy and advice has been an inspiration for many years. At the age of 93 he still paints every day
with fresh enthusiasm for the work at hand.
In her exploration
of the many forms of expression in art she, at one point, created miniature
paintings as small as 1" by 1˝" on thin pieces of wood. She used brushes with only one or two hairs
for detail. Some were copies of works
by the masters. She then fastened
chains made from old jewelry on the back for hanging. For frames, she used balsam wood. The most difficult aspect in this experiment, she recalls, was
the necessity to hold her breath to better control the brushstrokes. Having done paintings this size, envelopes
do not seem too small to work on.
Brenda researches
and designs all of her own cachets. She
has become very well known at the public library where she does most of the
research for upcoming issues. With the
research done and the design completed, she draws it on the envelope in pencil,
then produces the design in opaque watercolor. She has considered using oils and acrylic for some covers but,
at this time, is comfortable with watercolor.
For her covers, she uses 100% cotton envelopes. This makes them very forgiving to work
on. Changes may be made easily, plus it
is a better purchase for the collector.
Brenda's
first love is painting, but she has also done some sculpting. For about a year she worked in an art
foundry in Port Arthur Texas. She
worked in all phases of bronze making but especially enjoyed pouring the
metal. While working at the foundry, it
was not unusual for her to work wax, sandblast, use air tools, make a mold,
patina a bronze, and cut up a chicken for lunch ... all in one day. Also, working at the foundry gave her an
opportunity to produce her own bronzes.
After she clocked out each day, she had access to everything she needed
to do her own work.
In her "spare time" she also enjoys teaching
children's classes as well as making time for other art projects (a typical day
starts at 3:00 AM and ends at 10:00 PM - not a schedule that many could
keep). In her own words, "I just love to work."
For the past five years, Brenda has
become involved in courtroom sketching. She prefers to work trials close
to home. This enables her to continue with other art interests and still
cover a sensational case a couple times a year. The most widely covered
case she worked was the trial in Jasper, Texas. She was employed by 4
stations and CNN.
1992 marked the beginning of
GOLD LEAF CACHETS. Other art projects and interests are welcomed by
Brenda, but, the production of quality covers will remain constant for years to
come.
Brenda would like to thank her
subscribers and others who have expressed interest in her First Day
Covers. She adds, "Those who appreciate art are vital to the artist. Art unseen is like
a song unsung."
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You can
contact Brenda at BLi4597350@aol.com
or write to P.O. Box 351, Groves TX
The
following are additional illustrations of the colorful artwork on Brenda’s
covers.
Click
on any example for a bigger version of the photo.
