My journey into painting began not as a painter but as a photographer. I have always enjoyed taking pictures on vacations. We recently took a trip from California to Detroit via the National Parks in Utah and Colorado. After we were home, I started looking at some of the pictures and wondered if I could paint them. I bought an inexpensive set of paints and set out to see if I could paint something. My sister and mother-in-law paint and they gave me some tips to get started. I have since taken classes from an individual online and looked at numerous YouTube videos. I will continue to take classes and interact with artists to challenge myself to grow.

Over the last couple of years, I have joined the Reno-based Latimer Art Club. I have displayed and sold my paintings at the Reno Art CO-OP, Reno Art Town, and the Reno Tahoe International Art Show. I have also sold to individuals who have seen my work on Facebook and Instagram. I have done several requested paintings. I still enjoy painting landscapes from my photographs. I am blessed to live in the Reno-Tahoe area, which gives me beautiful settings to base my paintings. I love the desert as well, with its stark contrasts. But I have also painted a portrait of my granddaughter, my wife as a young girl, birds, A Paris Street Scene, neon signs, and buildings. I work in acrylic and oil. I am up to new challenges all the time!

Please feel free to take a look at my paintings. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy painting them. Any feedback is appreciated.

Thank You

Jeff Willis