As a family owned business, we like for all our students to feel like they are part of a close knit community. We think of everyone as a member of the Holt School family, but we also have many real families who attend our classes. Steff and Reese are just one example of a mother-daughter duo that have come together to paint with us.
When we first met them, Reese joined our youth classes while Steff proudly encouraged her, "Watching my daughter’s artistic journey has been incredible. I am so grateful to Holt for the skills they armed her with. She was acknowledged at Myer’s Park when she was in High School because of the fundamentals Holt gave her. Reese was awarded two Silver Keys in her first Scholastic submission, a proud Mom moment!" It was not until Steff joined classes later that we realized they had two talented creatives in the family. Steff quickly found her own place in our community and has found that she enjoys being surrounded by other artists and the teachers who offer a wide variety of skills and ideas about art.
Now that Reese is an adult, she and Steff are able to take classes together. When asked what it was like to be in class together, Steff told us, "Reese is my Best Friend! When she is around, I try to do as many creative classes together as we can squeeze in!" They not only enjoy taking classes together, but they continue sharing the creative process together at home. Reese told us, "I love sitting in my mom's studio and watching her paint or talking about ideas for future projects." Reese has left home to major in art and education at App State now, but the two still talk through ideas with each other and share the different stages of their artwork through facetime.
While Steff and Reese enjoy taking classes together and sharing ideas with each other, they both have their own personal style. Steff says, "We absolutely push each other, which is great. We are also incredibly different on how we go about the process. Reese LOVES painting small and very detailed. I love going big and am slowly learning when and how to let a brush stroke be." Steff tends to do paintings that are "nostalgic" in nature including paintings of family and the American West. Reese loves to create paintings with a deeper meaning but hasn't quite figured out her style yet. With two artists in the family, we had to know if there is competition for wall space in their house. Steff's response was, "I have art everywhere! Husband often jokes that we are going to need to add more walls!"
While their artistic journeys have been different, they both have found a way to flourish in our creative community. Steff recently won first place in the FabFest Charlotte Beatles Festival juried show and joined the Guild of Charlotte Artists. "I still have the day job, but one day I hope to travel even further down the path and immerse myself in the community more." When we asked Reese what she likes about taking classes at Holt School she told us "Growing up in a community where art was encouraged led me to the idea that this could be something more. I can have a career in art whether that’s my own business or teaching."
We loved hearing from Steff and Reese about how they are able to share art together while still having their own identities in the art world. To those who are thinking about starting their own creative journey, Steff shared her encouragement: "As everyone knows, life can take you down so many paths. My biggest suggestion is to say YES. You and life will change and evolve a million times, it's all part of the adventure!"
To see Steff's art visit: www.UschiBearStudio.com
To see Reese's art fine her on Instagram @Reeses_studio