Renée Gifford was born in 1963 in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York. A self-taught artist, she began painting in 1980, primarily prefering heavy bodied acrylic on canvas. She is inspired by nature and uses vibrant colors to portray different themes in an abstract, but natural way. Various finishes and textures highlight her paintings and each piece is an original.

Renée is a member of the Strand Center for the Arts and launched a new website in 2023 to showcase her paintings as demand and interest increased. Her passion for a more vibrant and abstract style of painting was further ignited in 2020 by the pandemic which caused her to turn inward to express beautiful thoughts and themes reflecting joy, happiness and peace in a dark world. It was then that she began incorporating a splash of wine into her paintings, as she sought to invent her own unique creations using vivid neon colors and abstract interpretations of natural sights which blossomed during the pandemic, all the while being enhanced by sips of wine during the process!

Most paintings are very textured and colorful. Every 3-4 months a new collection is created with seasonal themes highlighted at her exhibits.

Renée is known for her vibrant colorful strokes as well as her textured splashes of color on canvas. She attributes her style and free spirit to having wonderfully supportive parents while growing up in the Adirondack mountains, which is the reflection seen in many of her paintings. Her parents encouraged her creativity and her father, who worked at the local paper mill, supplied her with reams of paper which provided the canvases upon which to paint during the 70's and into the 80's.

Along with her passion for painting she also has a passion for her community and supports her local hospital foundation in Plattsburgh, NY with paintings to benefit her community as the need arises.

She is the proud mother of four beautiful children and also credits her success with a wonderfully supportive husband, who often accompanies her at her shows and exhibits.