“I started with
a very simple painting of two swans in a pond. Being cartoon
like- with very little detail- it turned out pretty well,
encouraging me to attempt another, a tad more difficult. After
almost two decades, I have developed my own technique to achieve
as much realism as possible in my paintings. I call them
paintings, while others with more knowledge may call them
drawings. I don’t care what they are called- I just enjoy doing
them. I estimate that I have produced more than four hundred
paintings.
“I have never
done a painting that I didn’t like- some, a little more than
others. When I select a subject to paint, it always has some
significance to me. Race car drivers that I admire; celebrities
that I find entertaining; the splendor of Nature; homesteading
scenes; old people with character and wisdom; creatures for
their beauty; sailboats for their freedom; airplanes for their
demanding skills; and so forth. You might say that I attempt to
portray in my paintings the visualization of my soul. I am so
pleased when I can stand back, look at a finished painting, and
say to myself, ‘Great job- that’s exactly what I expected’. I
seldom look at my paintings again- rolled-up and stuffed away
out of sight. Occasionally, if I mail some, I’ll take another
look, and I always feel a warm gratification when I observe,
what are to me, my lovely creations.”
– Jack Reed
