Today we’d like to introduce you to Herb Reed.
Herb, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
As a youngster my mother, a graduate of Parsons’ School in NYC, encouraged me to draw and paint. I took many Saturday classes at the Memphis Academy of Art. As I grew older, school, sports and girls took over. Although educated and working as an electrical engineer, I enrolled in an art correspondent course; this led to off-hours graphic design work as a free-lancer. Later I had a career shift, moving to corporate public relations and advertising, letting me exercise my creative muscles.
After I retired some twenty years ago, I jumped into watercolor with gusto. I took workshops and courses from some of the stars of the watercolor world: Tony Couch, Naomi Brotherton, Sterling Edwards, Joseph Zbukvic, Richard Stephens and Alvaro Castignet.
I am past president and a signature member of the Southwestern Watercolor Society, a 400-member group with headquarters in Dallas.
Several years ago, I — along with my younger son — met Jim Richards and got involved in Urban Sketching. This is a worldwide organization of more than 100,000 sketchers. I love the spontaneity and immediacy of this medium.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Watercolor is my medium. I love its freshness and the “happy accidents” that occur in most paintings. It requires planning and doesn’t allow room for do-overs . . . no ‘mulligans’ in watercolor. Light, particularly sunlight, captivates me. I love to tackle backlit scenes of a rising or setting sun. Cityscapes and seascapes are areas I like to concentrate on. Florals are also a fun challenge.
I hope that viewers of my work either feel like they are there or want to be there. Capturing the mood, I feel is paramount.
Watercolor lends itself to plein air painting, and I’ve done my share, battling the wind, heat or cold, or changing atmosphere and moisture.
It’s not a big jump from plein air to urban sketching, a more “reporting of the moment” style. I primarily sketch in ink and loose watercolor washes. The freshness and immediacy make this kind of sketching important to me.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Traditional artists, which I consider I am, seem to be fading away. Younger artists are creative, but many seem to be getting away from the basic foundations of drawing, color theory, and composition. In my opinion, these are pillars of painting, and good art reflects this. Most instructors, at least those involved with watercolor societies, are in their fifties and older. I worry that the art and medium we love won’t be around in a decade or two.
However, evolving technology is opening avenues for all artists, particularly those who have grown up in the “digital age.’ An example is the exploding media of digital drawing and painting on digital tablets.
Another challenge impacted by technology is marketing and displaying two-dimensional art. Traditional galleries are changing or slipping away. More and more art are exchanged on the internet. Today’s artists need to learn to use these new tools or be left behind.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have work hanging in the LAST Art Gallery, 105 West Louisiana Street, McKinney, Texas, just a few steps off of the town square.I also have two blogs that I post to on occasion: herbreedwatercolors.blogspot.com/ and herbreedsketchbook.blogspot.com/.
Contact Info:
- Website: herbreedsketchbook.blogspot.com/. herbreedwatercolor.blogspot.com/
- Phone: 972-824-1771
- Email: herb.reed23@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/herb.reed23
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/texasketcher, www.facebook.com/herbreedwatercolors
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