We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Doug. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Doug below.
Doug, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?
If I could go back in time, I would have a conversation with myself that would go something like this: “Stop wasting time. Get serious and develop whatever talent/gifts you have to the best of your ability. Find the best teachers, residencies and opportunities to help you develop and to create a professional network to build your future career.”
I don’t know if I would have been selected to study fine art at Yale or the Rhode Island School of design, but I wish I had been aiming at that when I was in high school. I wish I had given it everything I had.
The problem was I didn’t think that being an artist was a real career choice. In college I did start off as an art major, but it seemed like it was really grooming me for a career as an art teacher. I didn’t want to do that so I changed course, went to a different college and graduated with a degree in Mass Communications.
That decision took me, a “round peg” into the corporate “square Hole” world, where I busted my ass for several years, interacted with people I had little in common with, and wondered what had I become?
Looking back, I suppose it was my time to learn different, important life lessons. It definitely helped me to see who I was and wasn’t. However, even though I had a full-time corporate gig, I was still creating artwork. I had some luck as a cartoonist, selling work to Kings Features Syndicate, The New Yorker and other publications. Painting got hold of me in the mid 90’s, when I took a weekend plein air workshop. That was it. I dove deep into painting. I devoured it. I loved it. And I could do it while I plodded along at the corporate job. I could do it while my wife and I raised our son, who, as fate would have it, has turned out to be an abstract painter living in Brooklyn.
And yet, back then I still didn’t consider becoming a full time working artist. How could I? We had a mortgage and a family to raise?
But then, life throws you a curve. In 2006 I was laid off and given a severance package.
As I had been painting and selling for a few years, my wife and I had a conversation and decided it was a good time for me to give it a try and become an actual – full time working artist. It’s been that way for the past 20 years and I could not be happier with how everything turned out.
Sure, it would have been great if I had started sooner. Maybe I’d be a better painter? Who can say. I will say though that the course I took, allowed me to develop a retirement account, meet my wife (we both worked at the same company) and make life long friendships with folks I probably never, ever would have met. Also that zig-zagging to get to where I finally am makes me really appreciate what I’m doing now and who I have become.
Doug, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a full time working artist based in Setauket, New York. I primarily make oil paintings based on the places and people in my life. I’ve been painting for over 30 years.
I received two Pollock Krasner grants in 20014 and 2021. The funds from these grants enabled me to have a studio where I have space to create large works. Over the years I have also held painting classes in the studio.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I learned how to paint by being a plein air painter – which simply means I painted outdoors, on location, a lot.
I painted in that style because it was the best way for me to learn and seemed to be the type of work that I saw selling in my local galleries. If I could knock off a view of a beautiful view from our hometown, chances were pretty good someone local would buy it. As I had bills to pay and a reputation to develop, sales were much needed and appreciated.
The trouble was there were a lot of talented plein air artists in my area and even though I painted well, I was simply one of many and that bothered me. I wanted to offer the world something beautiful and unique, but didn’t know how.
I did have high aspirations though and wanted to find the best galleries to exhibit my work.
It was at one of those galleries where I had a conversation with the owner that had a big impact on my artistic direction. This happened back in 2003 and you can see that it’s still something I think about. After looking at my paintings, the gallery director said “the world doesn’t need anymore light houses and row boats paintings. Paint things that have meaning to who you are.”
That was it. I immediately got “it”. I knew he was right, but I needed to hear it. Sure it was a hard thing to hear. But I’m so thankful that he took the time to be so honest with me. I wonder if he didn’t, how long would it have taken for me to have figured that out?
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I feel like I am an art-ambassador. Some plein air painters don’t like to have others come up and say hello and check out what they’re doing. I don’t feel that way. This thing I get to do is a gift and it’s one that I enjoy sharing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dougreina.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougreina/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doug.reina.5
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/doug-reina
- Other: I have published a book of my cartoons and artworks pulled from over 25 years of sketchbooks. it’s available onboard Amazon at:
https://www.amazon.com/Under-Covers-Doug-Reina/dp/B0BW2MGSZM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1J3ZTGFIBWUFI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KcLGwXwwzlxe7-oMmjPXkIGpcVykFK25LQsY4Yhm6rR5z4h80HhbtupHPC2J0idK0TVIW67pQYrLC4maI4SXZR0LgAtvmgCTpYm3SQI43UyVxhe4oRZQ_Ebb7bfUeYNP.Q7LFIZgjALkNoiBK0i4loTOWrcoPHJX0gBMX89aCXd4&dib_tag=se&keywords=doug+reina&qid=1733006341&sprefix=%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1
