“My current work often features ordinary creatures, like the many illustrations of birds and flowers I painted for the Homes and Gardens and other sections during the 25 years I was staff artist for The Oregonian, but now I paint them the way I imagine they might look in an alternate world.

I am always curious and find interpretation exciting, first in the creation and again when I share my vision with you. My paintings usually evolve over time to the point that even I can’t know what direction they will take in the end. It is this journey — the experimental component of my work — that is the most rewarding, as I feel my way through the imperfections and settle on what to leave and what to alter. I’ve developed a technique that includes using acrylic paint marbling with my watercolor paintings. By combining layers of marbled patterning and color I begin to achieve a feeling of movement that allows my subjects to come alive. While my paintings tell a story, I try to leave enough ambiguity for you to invent the narrative.”

2021 is a year for successes.

Rene’s book,  “The Art Of Paint Marbling”, published by Walter Foster, will be on the shelves in March. Previously a hundred of her paintings were published in the book, “Plant This” by NPR correspondent Ketzel Levine.

Her painting, “Metamorphosis” is her third consecutive acceptance in the American Watercolor Society’s annual show this April, and with that she has earned signature membership in this prestigious group.

Rene paints in her classroom studio, set in the Tualatin Mountains near Portland. Her colorful watercolor work is often woven with acrylic patterning or texture while unique marbled or stamped papers are transformed as exquisite collaged creatures. These expressive paintings, interlaced with deeper symbolic meaning, invite the viewer to construct their own narrative.

Teaching locally and leading painting workshops in exotic locations such as Tuscany, Croatia and Costa Rica, René encourages each person’s unique artistic expression, creating a safe, supportive environment for growth and experimentation.

Read more about Rene’s process on her blog.