Pable Picasso has been quoted as saying, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

            How true this is. I often wonder how often people stop to think about how totally important art is in their lives. Just look around the room. Any room. Every single piece of furniture, every appliance, every tool and every common item in sight was once designed by an artist. It was dreamed up, drawn, engineered and finally created into existence by artists, designers and craftsmen or women. All of this before the “real art” such as murals and hangings and paintings ended up on the walls and the sculptures and bric-a-brac and accessories were bought and lovingly placed.  It’s true that not all people have the “artistic bent” that makes them want to go into an art field but there is not a living soul who does not benefit from some form of art. Perhaps one of our responsibilities as human beings is to help point that fact out to others so that they, too, may feel a sudden swelling in their souls with appreciation for the creativity of others. 

In May I will be taking a water color  workshop from John Salminen, one of the best watercolorists in the world in my opinion. He will be in Utah May 5 through the 9th and will be demonstrating for the Utah Watercolor Society on Tuesday, May 6. If you get a chance, go see him in action. Anyway. I spent much of my weekend sitting in front of the television watching General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In that time I listened to talks and painted. One day with my mother in her assisted living home, another day in my home. One of the speakers was Henry B. Eyring. Many do not know that he is a watercolorist. In his book, "I Will Lead You Along," he is quoted as saying, "When you get a watercolor working right, the feeling of illumination is like a deeply spiritual thing." So what does this have to do with John Salminen? I'm hoping that going to his workshop will help me feel more like I am "getting it right!" My attempts to paint this weekend were weak. I know some of the problems right away.  I didn't have the right equipment or paints with me. The paper was crummy.  I wasn't concentrating deeply. I got frustrated and tired. Not a good recipe for "getting it right!"

Last Friday night saw the second Ree's painting pARTy take flight! As you can see, this one was strictly for the birds, and I'm sorry, but I just have to crow a little about how much fun we had! My husband, Craig, even took up the brush and paint for the first time in his adult life. Did he lay an egg with this one? No way. His painting was a soaring success. Indeed, birds of a feather, in this case, artists at heart,  do flock together at Ree Art Studio.

I love to sit with my mother while she is watching television or reading. She is an amazing model. She sits so quietly and without the slightest embarrassment, lets me draw her. My husband, Craig, is much the same way. Perhaps these two individuals are so used to having me sketch them, they don't flinch. They don't even ask to see the sketches anymore.  I believe in drawing. Drawing constantly. Drawing every day. I tell my students at Ree Art Studio http://www.reeartstudio.com to draw, draw, draw. Drawing is the best way to see, see, see.

I love to teach art. It's just that simple. I do it because day after day, week in and out, I see the joy in people's faces as they create something of their own that they think is fabulous. I see my students and art friends deeply concentrating, relaxing, entering another world, drawing from themselves a creative power they never dreamed they had. You can see all of that in this photo of my friend, Judith Nielson as she paints. That's why Ree Art Studio http://www.reeartstudio.com exists for students. That's why I am having a ball conducting groups of people who come to Ree's painting pARTies http://www.ree'spaintingparties. In the 2014 edition of Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market, Margaret Peot wrote: "Art is the conduit by which a wordless intimate thing passes between two humans--the artist and the viewer--something that may touch our hearts, or assure us that we are not alone." That's pretty beautifully said and I believe it. 

This has been an exciting few days at Ree Art Studio — a fulfillment of many, many hours of planning, purchasing and pARTy planning. My first session of Ree's painting pARTies held last Friday, March 28, was, in my mind, a smashing success. Why? Because the people who came had a great time and they created a surprising array of inventive, unique paintings based on one image as you can see by this photo. Best of all, they left with new friends. Including me. It felt so good to meet this goal but it was also invigorating doing the work to get it done.