Chris reese

It was in high school, that artist Chris Reese completed her first painting, an ambitious self-

portrait done in oil. Art was fun and had always been a part of her life but, when it came time

for college Chris turned her focus to writing and graduated with a broadcast journalism degree

from the University of Texas. Upon graduation, Chris worked as a television reporter and news

anchor. Chris loved the fast pace of the work, each day meant a new story to tell, new people

to interview and new topics to explore. She then realized the people skills she had fine-tuned

in the news industry, transitioned quite seamlessly into sales. Chris embarked on a successful

career in corporate sales earning the company’s title of top sales producer several years in a

row.

Chris always planned to reignite her love of art and in 2022, while still working full-time in her

sales position, Chris became a student at the Texas Hill Country Atelier. During this time, Chris

developed a strong attraction to Russian Impressionism and the work of Sergei Bongart. It was

not only Bongart’s use of color that attracted her, but it was the expression and emotion he

conveyed with each painting that Chris found exciting. Bongart was a prolific teacher and Chris

sought out artists who had studied directly with Bongart or studied with one of Bongart’s

apprentices. Chris found and has studied with accomplished German artist Guido Frick and

master of light artist Cheri Christensen. Chris has also studied with world renowned artists

Kevin MacPherson and Sherrie McGraw.

Chris now works full-time on her art. She prefers to paint from life and paints directly from a

model several days a week in addition to her outdoor painting sessions. Chris is most

interested in capturing those sweet and often fleeting moments. It might be a child napping

next to his steer at the county fair, a couple dancing or the reflection on a river at sunset. It’s

most often the human connections and life’s simple pleasures that Chris celebrates in her

paintings.