Bryan Reid and the Crewing Collection
“I think life oughta be an art, and it oughta be treated like art” says artist Bryan Reid, creator of Doreywood Decor. After being a painter for 50 years, and carving for 25, Reid has certainly lived a life revolving around art. Born in Calgary and raised in Vancouver, Reid says that he comes from an artistic family, as his mother was a very talented recreational painter. What inspired Reid to create art, however, were his trips to Europe as a teenager. In Europe, Reid “fell in love with the culture that appreciates art,” and came home as a 19-year-old and immediately started painting. Art has been a part of his life ever since, and he loves it.
When he found out that the 2022 49er, 49erFX, & Nacra 17 World Championships would be taking place in Hubbards, Reid thought that “it was a perfect segway” into his winter paintings, as every winter he creates a collection of a dozen paintings. Titled “Crewing”, the collection consists of 12 paintings that are focused on the three classes of boats that will be coming to Hubbards for the World Championships. “I love line, I love movement in my work,” explains Reid, “and sailing provides - the boat itself - has beautiful diagonals and billowing semi-circles, and the opportunity for capturing Emily Carr like movement in the sky and in the water was a no-brainer.” Despite only being out on the water in a sailboat half a dozen times, Reid says he has “a great appreciation for how people fall in love with it.”
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the province and for this part of the world” says Reid about the 2022 World Championships. Reid says he was not surprised that somebody decided that they were going to put Hubbards on the map with sailing and the World Championships, and that he is “blown away by volunteerism in this part of the world.”
Inspired by artists such as Emily Carr, Vincent Van Gogh, and the Group of Seven, Reid has developed his own style over time. “I think every artist wants to get to a point where they’re recognizable, and I’ve kind of established that” says Reid. Aside from painting, Reid also took the opportunity to learn carving while he was teaching on a reserve in BC, and studied with a master carver. Combining his painting skills and carving techniques, Reid has established his own unique style of art. Now, Reid’s carvings are primarily maritime motivated, as he and his wife moved from BC to Nova Scotia 25 years ago to live closer to family.
For Reid, being a painter is about being intuitive. When picking a theme for a collection, Reid says he looks for “intriguing photographs” that would make a really good composition and that he can “tweak and make special”, and then he starts the process. As an impressionist, Reid works quite quickly, finishing a painting in two or three days. “It’s all intuitive,” says Reid, “When I’m done, I’m done, and I know I’m done. It’s a tricky thing, as an artist, knowing when to stop, and I’ve learned that.”
Reid’s favourite part of creating art is when he gets “that feeling of euphoria” when he realizes that he is “onto something that really works and has legs.” Whether he is carving, painting, or working on another project, Reid says that he gets “lost in the moment, and everything else disappears.” Although he enjoys creating art that satisfies himself, Reid says that making art is also about looking at your patrons and creating art to meet what you imagine their needs might be. In this way, the motivation behind Reid’s artworks is “two-fold”; satisfying himself as well as potential clients or viewers of his art.
Reid has secured an opportunity to show his work in Chester for a period of time during this summer, aside from showcasing it at local markets. He hopes that people will see his work and that he can establish relationships with them that will go forward. Reid says that he’d like to introduce his artwork to a broader audience, “because as an artist, that’s really the hardest part of the whole process, getting in front of people.”
Check out Bryan Reid’s art at https://www.doreywooddecor.com/