Renee K. Watkins

Artist

I’m a Los Angeles native, now making life in Des Moines.  I love it here and don’t want to leave any time soon.  Des Moines appears to still have an untouched quality to its vibrant culture, and the accessibility to every scene is refreshing. 
 
I’ve been drawing, painting, sculpting, and just about every other type of crafting my entire life.  I’ve taught adults and children various forms of art, and sometimes I enjoy that more than I enjoy creating my own. 
 
My artistic style is influenced by the street artists of Venice Beach, naked women, psychedelia, the bright colors of Lisa Frank, intricate views from a microscope, fluid motion, the fine lines and inky splatters of Ralph Steadman, and the clouds and joy of my grandfather and artistic mentor, Robert “Pop” Swanson.
 
I do commissions, have taught private and group lessons, and occasionally teach classes to individuals participating in Family Promise of Greater Des Moines.

Sometimes there is a lot of meaning behind my work, and sometimes I just pushed around some pretty colors until it turned into something that made me happy.  I reject the idea that all art needs to carry meaning.  "I like it" is reason enough.