Carla Brennan

Photography

“Ocean waves are one of my favorite subjects. I often walk the many beaches near where I live and take in the full-bodied, sensuous experience of water meeting land. When you live close to the ocean’s deep presence, it becomes part of your psyche. It’s as if your cells remember their salty, wet origin and wish to return. The ocean is a moody beast and the waves are its expression. In them I see beauty, playfulness, energy and aggression. In them I see the fluid impermanence and endless wonder of living on planet Earth.”

Carla has experimented with a variety of creative media over the decades. Currently, she is most passionate about nature photography. She received her formal training in painting and drawing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Carla has also been a calligrapher, jewelry maker, freelance illustrator and occasional writer.

Carla teaches the contemplative arts as an Insight Meditation Teacher in Santa Cruz, CA. She began practicing Buddhist meditation and philosophy in her early 20’s and later became a transpersonal psychotherapist. Through the pandemic, Carla has been teaching online, offering dharma talks to help encourage resilience and insight during challenging times. She also trains students to become mindfulness meditation teachers. Dedicated to spending as much time outdoors as possible, Carla recommends meditating in nature as a powerful way to discover one's own true nature.

More on Carla Brennan’s work can be found on our Links page.