Meet Renée Switkes | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Renée Switkes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Renée, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
As an artist, educator, and mother, my work-life balance evolves and changes continuously. When my children were little, they would paint beside me and it would take me months to complete a painting. Now they are older and more independent, I have more focused time and am able to complete a painting almost weekly.
The biggest challenge is finding the balance between marketing, painting, applying to art opportunities, parenting, and having a life outside the art world. I often struggle with getting too caught up in one aspect of my life which leads to letting other aspects fall by the wayside. Setting weekly and monthly goals helps me to stay on track and remain productive.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Grief was debilitating, so I turned to local gardens and painting, immersing myself in the beauty of nature and flowers to bring me joy. Before I paint, I will go through my photo archives and pick an image that evokes sentiments that I feel my soul needs to express. Focusing on each petal one at a time forces me to spend time observing every turn and twist of the flower petals I paint – this brings a centering balance to my life. I am especially drawn to the contrast of light and shadow. I like to mix colors to show the delicate surface of the flower and the tender transparency of the light. Each painting reflects my heart and soul and is an extension of me. My desire is for each person who encounters my art to feel joy and connect on a deeper level to nature.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A big highlight is during the four consecutive weekends when ArtSpan hosts San Francisco Open Studios where you can visit local artists to view their work and art studios. I will be exhibiting at FrameArt Studio on October 22nd & 23rd of 2022.

My family enjoys taking a picnic lunch to Fort Funston for walks and a beach visit. It is also fun to ride bikes through Golden Gate Park.

For a fun night out go to the Drawing Room on Valencia to listen to live music, see art, and then head to one of the many restaurants on the street for dinner. Or head over to Mission Bowling for drinks and fun.

There is a lot to do in San Francisco and the Bay Area, including numerous museums, galleries, shops, and restaurants, as well as a plethora of trails and outdoor activities.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
ArtSpan is a small but mighty organization that supports local artists in the Bay Area, California. I have learned so much from their offerings and have gained a supportive community of artists. I also want to give a big shout-out to my husband, who has supported me in leaving my teaching career to pursue art full-time. I also appreciate my friends and family, who encourage me and provide support in many ways.

Website: https://www.artbyreneeswitkes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyreneeswitkes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artbyreneeswitkes