CODA.market Creator of the Month: Trena McNabb

How did you feel when you first learned about CODA.market?

I jumped right on it, because I do large work. I have big paintings and the galleries will only take one or two. This was a perfect opportunity for me and I am excited to join CODAworx in this new venture. This is going to be an avenue for people who do not go to galleries and who want larger artwork, and maybe are only aware of a limited number of artists who work that way. 

Why is CODA.market different from other art sites?

CODAworx has focused for many years on connecting artists with design professionals: decorators, agents, contractors, and organizations looking for art, such as hospitals. I have been a member for years, resulting in many commissions. CODA.market, as an extension of CODAworx, provides design professionals the chance to discover existing art from experienced artists. It brings my large-scale, completed works into consideration for immediate purchase.

Your art can be found on different continents. Can you share any interesting stories on this topic? 

Early on in my career, I was commissioned by a German company to do a large painting for another company in North Carolina. I was still working on the commission and there was talk of  “And as soon as you finish this, I have another piece I’d like to discuss for our headquarters in Verden, Germany…” 

I worked on that commission and was flown to Germany for the unveiling. There was a language barrier, and an interpreter became involved. That was my first real experience with a big commission far away from home. I learned how to work by phone, and of course the internet. From that commission, my paintings became gifts to companies in Japan, China and the United States. 

My work has found its way into hospitals, retirement homes, a brewery, banks, foundations, and corporations. I have received several public art commissions for large-scale works. I make my work available to non-profits to use in their facilities and with donors. My high resolution photos of paintings have been used as reproductions for note cards and large-scale photo prints with a small one-time user fee. An outdoor board company,  facilitated by an arts council, featured one of my paintings for a year on boards that moved between five counties in North Carolina. I have participated in group and solo shows of my work in galleries and non-profit spaces.

One of the features of my work that inspires others is the visual storytelling with overlapping transparent images that weave together to create a kaleidoscope of colors. The overall first impression on the viewer is a light, bright and colorful feeling. I especially like to combine vibrant colors with stark white sections. As the overlapping images create edges for additional images, that adds many layers to the story and it becomes deeper the longer one studies the work.

What commissions are you most proud of? 

Two commissions for a hospital in Palo Alto, California come to mind. A mother wrote me a letter about how much her son had loved my artwork. That was the most amazing thing: She had to find out who I was. 

I’ve been part of the CODAworx community for a long time, even before it was CODAworx when my artwork was featured in a Guild Sourcebook. A week after my art appeared in that book I had five agents call me from around the United States. The most shocking thing: to have five agents, around the country, and they all saw my art in The Guild Sourcebooks.

Below you can find Trena McNabb's artwork for sale on CODA.market, and you can also visit McNabb's CODAworx profile here.