Hello there and welcome!

I’m Lyn Drennan, the mama bear of Mother Bear Studio. My husband and I recently moved from our 10-year home in Louisville, Kentucky to beautiful New Hampshire where we are much closer to our grandchildren.

My love of animals goes back to my childhood days when I was surrounded by an assortment of furry and feathered creatures. Not only was my childhood filled with many four and two-legged friends, but also creativity in all forms. From painting rocks (and frankly anything immobile) to troll house architecture, to knitting my own sweater patterns for stuffed animals, to elaborate cookie decorating, to making my own clothing, I was constantly on the lookout for my next artistic endeavor!

But as often happens, life began demanding more attention and my artistic creativity moved to the sidelines during much of my adulthood. For nearly 25 years I mostly stepped away from art, as I raised three wonderful children, helped care for numerous cats, golden retrievers, guinea pigs and even a ferret, in Ann Arbor,  Michigan. I also spent many rewarding hours with a variety of school, church and civic volunteer work, along with working full-time in school administration.
Then, nearly a decade ago, after all three now-adult children had graduated from college and moved to new exciting opportunities, John and I moved from our Ann Arbor home to Louisville in search of our own adventure. During our ten years there, I took several painting classes, got hooked on oil painting, and set up a studio at the Mellwood Art Center.

My favorite subjects to paint are animals that display whimsy and a bit of attitude. While I am particularly drawn to birds, I generally love capturing the spirit, and character of all kinds of furry and feathered friend. 

Derby Chicks & Derby Ducks

After moving to Louisville, I quickly became aware of the incredible pomp and circumstance of The Kentucky Derby. Derby hats are a huge part of this vibrant culture and it wasn’t long before (and with a little fun play on words of the musical group The Dixie Chicks) I found myself creating “Derby Chicks’ – – chicks (and now Derby Ducks) decked out in their fancy Derby hats ready for a day at Churchill Downs. These sassy Derby darlings have been featured in Louisville’s Women First Magazine and can be found in many galleries and shops throughout Kentucky.

Medium

My medium of choice is oil paint. I have dabbled in watercolor and acrylic, but I appreciate the forgiving nature of oil. I can relax in it and trust that there is no mistake that cannot be fixed.  I use fine art quality oils and canvas.