At 90, Local Watercolor Artist Proves Age is Just a Number

Reid Sewell has enjoyed many hobbies during his 90 years of life, but his latest endeavor is bringing him new accolades, and his own showing at the Oats Park Arts Center. The show, “Reid Sewell: A Journey in Art,” will be featured in the Kirk Robertson Gallery until Aug. 18.

Sewell, who started painting less than ten years ago, sat down for an artist’s talk at the Oats Park Arts Center earlier this month and walked listeners through his artistic journey, sharing the stories behind several of his paintings. His interest in creating art began in high school when the art teacher asked her students to bring in a piece they had created, and Sewell delivered a pencil drawing of a shirtless muscle man.

“She got very excited,” he said. “She could see potential.” Unfortunately, Sewell was too distracted with “sports, parties and girls” to focus on art as a student and moved into the business world following college graduation.

Following a successful business career, he sought hobbies to keep his mind and hands busy in retirement. He tinkered on old cars – proudly listing a 1941 Graham Hollywood, a 1969 El Camino, and a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner among cars he’s restored. He also spent his time hitting the links, which factored into his and his wife, Diane’s, decision to purchase a home on the golf course in Fernley. But the art bug still fluttered inside him.

When Sewell took a watercolor painting class in 2000, at age 65, his style was critiqued, and, grumpily, he set his brushes aside for several more years. Then at age 81, he was captivated by a sunset photo taken in Lovelock and told his wife, “I can paint that. Do you still have my paints?”

Diane said he told her a few years ago that he was giving up golf. Then he came in one night and told her he “got out from under a car for the last time,” an unfortunate milestone for a car guy. So, he picked up his brushes again and began to paint in earnest from then on.

Sewell’s paintings are surprisingly detailed and intricate for watercolor paintings ... and a 90-year-old artist. Diane said people assume he uses pen and ink to provide details, but she assured the small crowd at the artist’s talk that he only uses watercolors and paintbrushes, sometimes using a three-hair brush to achieve those minuscule details.

Pointing to the painting of two wolves, “The Observers,” he called it the best work he’s done. Sewell said he attempted to emulate an artist he admires with his painting, but noted that he only achieved about two-thirds of the quality.

Sewell not only captures the complex details of his subjects – he’s fascinated with trains – but he also learns their history. When the Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy steam locomotive stopped in Hazen last summer, Sewell snapped a dozen pictures to paint it later. He explained that the locomotive was immediately followed by a 70,000-gallon water tender, as railroads no longer had water towers every 60 miles to service steam locomotives.

Another one of his train paintings, “Cab Forward-Sparks,” features a Sierra Pacific freight engine that crossed the Sierras and won Best of Show in the Sierra Watercolor Society’s 2020 Juried Art Show. The painting “Industrial Revolution” features an elaborate steel trestle sitting high above a canyon; the eye is so drawn to the detailed trestle, punched with background color, that you almost miss a train speeding along a platform tucked beneath the trestle. This piece earned him a first-place prize in the WASH Sacramento Art Watercolor Show.

His most popular piece is the “Legacy Tool Chest,” an itemized glimpse into a master woodworker’s collection of more than 300 small tools, masterfully arranged in a custom-built cabinet featuring mother-of-pearl inlays. Again, the exacting details found in the reproduction of chisels, planers, and augers are astounding considering it’s a watercolor painting without any pen or ink. Sewell laughed that although the “Legacy Tool Chest” is his most popular painting, it never won an award.

Sewell and his wife are regulars at the weekly gathering of the High Desert Artists group that meets in the basement of the arts center. The small group of artists from Fallon and Fernley was established in 2017 by Diane and Lori Bishop, allowing the artists to share, create, and critique in a welcoming environment.

“He is a fountain of wisdom,” said Bishop, an accomplished Fallon artist. “He is fun and has a lot to say and has taught me some watercolor techniques I wasn’t familiar with.”

She noted his artistic skill is remarkable given his age and lack of formal training. “He’s taken a few workshops here and there, but he knows what he wants to do. He’s very discerning in what he spends his time doing.”

“Everything came to me relatively easy,” he said without any guilt. While Sewell admits it’s nice to be known as an artist, he just hopes people enjoy his art and that he serves as an example to try new things.

“Everybody has the ability to paint,” he said. “Once you try, don’t be disappointed in your first try because it will improve.”

Sewell’s art can be viewed at the Oats Park Arts Center until Aug. 18. The Oats Park Arts Center is open Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Fallon.