Artspan Artist Spotlight Interview with VL Rees

 When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist?
Before first grade!  I took art classes throughout elementary and high school, dabbled in college and after graduation, then gave it up for nearly 30 years.
Approaching retirement I thought about what I wanted to do after a left the corporate world and realized where my heart was.
It wasn’t easy to pick up a paint brush after a long break but gradually I began to make paintings that I enjoyed and didn’t make me want to cry.

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date?
My first art teacher: Michiko Boorman.  She came to this country after WWII and raised a family while she studied and practiced art.  She taught me the basics in such a supportive way.

Who is another living artist you admire and why?
I’ve yet to a meet an artist in the Triangle who doesn’t inspire me in some way.  That said, I would pick Dan Nelson, plein aire painter extraordinaire.  His work is beautiful and often done under extreme conditions.  I love plein aire paintings but as a mosquito magnet, I don’t aspire to it.

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with? Describe it if you make it yourself.
Stretched canvas with a colored ground.

What are your favorite materials to use?
Oil paints.  I especially love using a palette knife for abstracts.  Using Winsor & Newton’s Liquin Impasto gives a great sheen and helps layers adhere to one another.  It also stretches the paint.

How often do you work on your artwork? How many hours a week?
I would like to say every day and sometimes that happens!  Currently I am planning a studio where, for the first time, I will have natural light, HVAC, and plumbing.  Once I’m no longer in “the dungeon”, I hope to devote 40+ hours a week.

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for?
Personally, that I was there for my family, friends, and colleagues.  As a painter, that I showed the beauty in ordinary objects.

There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity?
In every painting there comes that “uh oh” moment.  I call it buyer’s remorse.  It’s when you think, “what was I thinking!” for choosing that subject, that size/shape canvas, that color palette, etc.
 
How do you overcome these obstacles?
Practice, practice, practice.  Over the years I’ve learned when to just keep at it and when to put it aside to ponder where I go next.  It’s also helpful to know that one can paint over the real disasters.

What are your inspirations for your work?
The interplay of light and shadow, and looking at everyday objects from a new perspective.