by Ashley Hunter
When Randy and Debra Brienen paint, they are often near one another, making the title of their current art exhibit at LeMoyne Arts that much more impactful. “Forever Side by Side” is currently on display at LeMoyne, featuring the artists’ individual acrylic and oil paintings depicting scenery the Brienens encountered during their travels around North Florida. This is the third time the duo has hosted this exhibit at LeMoyne, the previous galleries having been hosted in 2010 and 2016. “The exhibit has a little bit of history to it,” said Randy Brienen. “When we paint in our studios, we are in close proximity to each other.”
The two sweethearts met in high school, where their love for art drew them together despite different passions and backgrounds. Debra Brienen, a self-described ‘country girl,’ would ask her mother to drive her into town for art classes, where Randy would meet up with her. “I knew my mother wouldn’t drive me into town for a boy, but she would for art,” Debra adds. “We used art to spend time together.” Their passion for art would continue, growing as their relationship grew and developed as well. Randy attended Eastern Illinois University, where he was an art major, but conflicts across the globe would pull him from his artistic pursuits and Debra. Drafted in the Vietnam War conflicts, Randy left his university days behind, but not before marrying Debra. After Randy returned, the two settled in and formed a family, but despite the busyness of running their own home and raising children, the couple said they still found time for art. “We continued to do art projects, just here and there,” said Debra.
It wasn’t until 2006 that art resurfaced in a major way in Debra Brienen’s life. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer. Faced with the fight against cancer, Debra realized that despite her passion for art and the crucial role it had played in bringing their family together, her children would have very little of their mother’s art to remember her by. “My kids didn’t even know I could paint,” said Debra. While fighting cancer, Debra began painting again, and it has never stopped. Today, her cancer is gone, but the canvas remains. For every piece of art she sells, a portion goes to funding cancer research.
Across the Florida Panhandle, the couple’s art is featured in 10 different galleries, including LeMoyne, and they continue to paint new pieces. The duo frequently travel, and sights from their rural route excursions often end up depicted on canvas: seascapes, landscapes, flora and fauna, farm scenes, old homes, southern chapels, roadside motels, streetside shops, and more.
“When we travel, we look for appealing views,” said Debra. “Most of all, our pieces are of Florida.” Randy said that the idea of painting side-by-side pieces came naturally. So rarely separated are they, that the Brienens often share the exact source of artistic inspiration when traveling across Florida’s landscape.
Today, they have 66 paintings showcasing North Florida sights; over half are side-by-side pieces. Many of those pieces are now on display at LeMoyne. Maybe artists shouldn’t have favorites, but Randy and Debra Brienen say they do have paintings that they favor within the “Forever Side by Side” gallery. Randy’s favorite is ‘Springtime Lane, ‘ a scene depicting a dirt lane lined with intrinsically southern dogwoods and azaleas in bloom. For Debra, it is ‘Majestic Lineup,’ a piece depicting a row of ancient oaks reflecting in water.
Debra Brienen’s return to painting may have been inspired by her desire to leave a legacy to her children, but Debra and Randy say that a different legacy has been born from their artistic endeavors. “We are seeing talents emerge in our kids and grandkids,” said Randy, who is eager to see the future generation of Brienen artists take bloom… maybe in the next few years, we will see a “Forever Side by Side by Side” exhibit as more Brienen artists join the craft.
Learn more about “Forever Side by Side”
Ashley Hunter is a guest feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org)
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