The Watercolor Art of Renee Louise Marks

Renee L Marks is a successful watercolor artist who was born in 1954 and grew up in the Country in Northwestern Oregon, USA. She has been painting in watercolor since March of 2008 and has since  been blessed with success and requests for her art work. The demand has been growing steadily as more people become aware of her work. 

                                                              Art Journey

When ever Renee was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, even at age three, her answer was a definite and quick, “I want to be an Artist! To her, that meant painting  people, since this is what she loved drawing the most.

 In grade school her teachers were usually dismayed at all the people and figures she drew on the corners of her school assignments. Her tablet that should have been full of her school work was full of drawings. She continued to draw for the next 10 years until she was able to get a truer likeness of her subjects.  She had a dream to be an artist.

Before she was old enough to start high school, her parents divorced.  It was a painful ordeal to see her father go, but she was so very excited to start high school.  She thought that at least she could have a painting class.  At least that was something to look forward to.

 Oil painting was the option and she eagerly grabbed it. Within the first week she learned that the cost of supplies were out of her budget so there was no way to pay for it.  That did not hurt half as much as the requirement to build a frame and stretch a canvas over it.  When the teacher said, "I assume you all have a father with tools or a father image to help with this."  It was all she could do to blink back her tears.  She had no one to help.  Her father had moved over 200 miles away.

Eventually she moved in with in her father and started the new high school, but still never took the art class.  As a sophomore she was asked by the art class to create a huge blue rose for the backdrop for the Graduation.  They were asked to do it and agreed then realized no one in the class wanted to try it.   So they found Renee after school to drag her to the art room.  She did it after school hours and the art class was thanked by the Principle during the ceremony for creating the most beautiful blue rose for the backdrop. Not her, but she did not care. She knew who did it.

 She spent most of her years raising her 5 children and loved every minute of it.  To her, raising her children was a work of art in itself.  Raising her little ones was the highlight of her life and brought her joy beyond measure and gave her that feeling she wanted to create in a painting. Yet she went through divorce and widowhood and thought that her chance to create art was long past.

This all changed when she finally remarried and her husband  surprised her by taking her into an art store with him on impulse. Her heart pounded in excitement the moment she lifted a brush in her hand. That same feeling she had when she held a brush in her little hand from a small tin watercolor set as a child. The store owner saw her expression and told her about a watercolor workshop coming up.  Her husband encouraged her to go for it and with his love and support changed her life.