Path Ambassador Brooke McFerren's Fine Art

Path ambassador Brooke McFerren recently rekindled her love for painting, taking inspiration from her favorite local trails. Brooke, a physical therapist assistant by trade, and her husband Peter Osborn have been riding and racing for The Path since they moved to Orange County from Florida in 2015.

We recently caught up with Brooke to learn more about her art, her mountain bike racing background, and more!

The Path: How and when did you start painting?

Brooke: I can't remember a time when I wasn't drawing or doodling as a child. My major in college was Studio Art, and I worked in graphic design for a while after college, however painting as a hobby kind of fell by the wayside until late last year when I was inspired to start painting my favorite mountain bike trails.

The Path: What is your medium, and favorite scenes to paint?

Brooke: I use gouache, which is a type of opaque watercolor. I started using it in college and love its versatility and ease of use. I enjoy painting landscapes, and I've been getting tons of inspiration painting our favorite local trails. My favorite scenes are either obvious landmarks of a certain trail that those who ride, run, or hike can recognize, or even better, finding beauty in overlooked parts of the trail or painting from a different point of view that maybe isn't so easily recognized.  

The Path: Where do you paint?

Brooke: I used to paint on-site, however for practical reasons (mainly that I don't want to get run over on the trail!) I have been taking photos of potential paintings, picking a few then working on them in my little studio at home. 

The Path: Tell us a bit about your riding and racing background

Brooke: I started riding in Florida 2013 and did my first XC race later that year, the rest is history! I race primarily XC with some endurance events thrown in. Between the pandemic and the fires most of my events this year have been canceled or postponed until next year, although I am hoping to ride at the Grizzly 100 at the end of October. 

The Path: Where can people purchase your artwork?

Brooke: I have a website www.bmcferren.artspan.com where you can view and purchase my art, as well as liking and/or direct messaging me via my Facebook page McFerren Fine Art. My website has a cool feature where you can order prints complete with a custom frame and mat and preview it virtually on any wall in your home! And of course, prints are now available at The Path for a very reasonable price. I am also happy to take commissions or discuss custom sizing of any print. 

Check out Brooke's art on her website and Facebook, and look for it for sale in our stores!