SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild instructor Renee Pearson
Connie Kotke, Publicity Chair
The SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild (www.saddlebrookefinearts.org) offers a wide range of art classes for beginners to experts—right here in the Topaz Room in the Arts & Crafts Center at MountainView clubhouse. Our instructors are remarkably talented, and they love to teach! This month we highlight Renee Pearson who teaches watercolor painting.
Q: What can you tell us about your artistic journey?
A: I always enjoyed art while growing up, so I completed a bachelor’s degree in art at California State University, Hayward. It’s important to paint what I know and enjoy—and to do it often! My work was in galleries in California and Santa Fe, N.M. I’ve earned many awards from art associations in those states and in the Tucson area.
Q: How long have you lived in this area?
A: We moved here 12 years ago from Santa Fe. Before that, we lived in Northern California where I owned a gallery in Pleasanton. We were drawn to Tucson for the wonderful weather that made it easy to golf year-round. Our casita became my studio.
Q: What is your philosophy about teaching?
A: I feel that everyone who is starting out should learn the basics … then they can go off on their own. I teach one-day classes here at SaddleBrooke where my students can follow what I’m doing step-by-step to better understand my painting techniques. Most end up with a successful painting, and all students learn some new techniques.
Q: Where can we find your work?
A: In the Fine Art Shows in SaddleBrooke and in the Southern Arizona Watercolor Gallery at the Williams Center on Broadway in Tucson.