Brenda & Al are life-time residents of Brockport, where they attended college and become teachers. They share a studio where Brenda paints, and Al carves and does bird research.

 

Al Cretney

After teaching at Cardinal Mooney High School and Canandaigua Academy, Al took up bird carving in retirement. He has attended many competitions and shows in the eastern states has won many awards, and taken many workshops where he continually improves his skills. Al has been carving for twenty years and feels he is still learning with each bird he carves. He enjoys visualizing a bird in a block of wood and carving it out.

 

Brenda Cretney

Brenda taught at Kendall Central School and began painting when she retired. Her painting has two things she loves: the luminous quality of watercolor, and the animals she gets to paint. Her biggest enjoyment comes while painting an animal, and she begins to see it look back at her from the paper. Brenda has won many awards, and is a signature member of six art clubs.