Trena McNabb is a storyteller whose paintings piece together smaller scenes to create one cohesive narrative. She uses many layers of overlapping images to create such a narrative. Thus, each painting weaves together a story.
NC’s native plants and animals fascinate Trena. She uses this fascination to blend science, realism, and fantasy in her artwork. Within each painting, kaleidoscopes of vivid colors depict flora, fauna, and landscapes.
Her paintings are unique because she leaves the white background as part of the visual, contrasting it with transparent shapes and images. This contrast creates an overall light and bright impression on the viewer. Trena’s most notable works are large-scale, site-specific paintings. However, Trena also paints small-scale allegorical scenes. These scenes often unite stylized shapes as well as her own harmonious concept of beauty. Multi-layered montages of brightly lit realistic and thematically painted scenes contribute to Trena’s distinctive style.