Nestled in the heart of the KZN Midlands, Howick is a small town known for its beautiful surrounds and waterfalls. It also seems to be a place of great creativity and is home to quite a few well-known artists.
Vincent Reid was the winner of our Vintage Still Life Challenge with his beautiful depiction of an aged tractor.
I met Vincent at Degrees of Realism 2022 and we had a couple of good laughs – especially at the different ways in which we go about hanging artworks! Its great to now get to know a little bit more about this highly talented artist.
“I was born and raised on our family farm near a small town called Concession in Zimbabwe.
I did art up to A level at Prince Edward Highschool in Harare and then studied interior design at Technikon Natal. After completing my studies I worked for 2 years designing exhibition stands for a Durban based company before returning to Zimbabwe in 1995.
Whilst in Zimbabwe I lived on the farm but also opened my own company doing exhibition stand design and installation. In 2003 my family had to leave the farm as a result of land reform and I chose to go to Durban with them to take up a job with an exhibition stand company.”
Vincent’s journey as an artist started in 2009 when he met the artist Ian van Zyl. Ian had a stand at Gateway shopping centre.
“Up until this stage art was not a thing in my life, I barely noticed art or visited galleries. However, I was fascinated by Ian’s story and how he too had spent a lot of time working in a service industry (shop fitting I think…) before becoming an artist. Seeing his work and hearing him speak of how becoming an artist was the best move he had ever made, ignited something in me.
I set out to make the necessary changes in my own circumstances which would enable me to become an artist. At the end of 2010 I sold my house in Durban and moved I to Howick in the KZN midlands. At the time I owned an exhibition company in Durban and I was commuting 2 or 3 times a week for work and focusing on art in between. By September 2011 I had sold the company went full time into art.
My first major event was the 2011 Hilton Arts Festival. I exhibited about 10 pieces and sold nothing!
Vincent has been a professional artist for some time and has made quite a name for himself. I ask him which three ‘actions’ or beliefs he thinks has helped him on the road to success.
“The first is self-awareness. I had to know and accept who I was. By 2010 I was a top dog in the exhibition industry – winning awards and getting major contracts – but also having to take pills to sleep at night. I had assessed myself and discovered that I was in fact a Zimbabwean farm boy operating within the highest levels of the advertising and marketing fraternity in corporate South Africa and it just wasn’t me – despite the fact that I was good at it.
Secondly, I did have a notion that I was skilled enough. When I saw other artists work I believed that I could get there whilst knowing that I would have to take time to develop my skill.
Thirdly, my time in business allowed me to have a more calculated approach to the business of art. I love my Excel spreadsheets, Quickbooks and finance meetings!”
We’ve all struggled through the bad economic situation we’ve found ourselves in recently and I wonder what advice Vincent would give younger artists.
“I think the best advice for young artists is to look at art from a broader viewpoint than just the making and selling of art. As an artist you are likely to have to create side hustles to see you through.”
Vincent’s side hustles – over and above original art sales – are limited edition prints, a framing business and art workshops.
He adds that other artists might add online tutoring or working in a gallery to this list. It is all working in art which is the main thing.
As Vincent mentions his ‘side hustles’ I have to ask about him and his wife’s working relationship. He often mentioned her valuable input in framing while we worked together and I have to smile at his answer.
“This is a tough question as working together has not always brought out the best in each other. I could write a self-help book for creative couples on this, but suffice it to say the best part of it is that we now know ourselves really well and are still together!”
What makes Vincent Reid get up and draw?
He says that art has created a lifestyle for him which allows him to support his family doing something he loves, in a beautiful setting.
“It allows me to combine some of my favourite things (for example visiting a game reserve) during my day-to-day life as a means of earning a living.
It allows me to work when I am inspired as opposed to following business hours.”
Vincent is generally inspired by nature. He adds that a well-lit, clear reference image – taken himself – really gets him excited to work.
And his favourite art supplies?
“Good paper is an absolute must for me. Fabriano Artistico Hotpress Extra White is my favourite. I could probably draw with any pencil if I had to, but the paper makes the biggest difference to me. Having said that, my favourite pencils are Faber Castell. I mix it up between the regular Faber 9000 range, Pitt oil base range and the Pitt Matt graphite range.
Having been around the block a bit and having done a fair amount of festivals and art fairs, I ask Vincent about his experience with galleries and marketing your art.
“In the early stages of an art career, face to face exposure is probably going to do more for your art career than gallery representation or social media. Galleries and social media are great but do not afford you the chance to interface directly with the public. The big challenge in South Africa is finding art events where a) art is the sole focus of the event and b) there are high income individuals in attendance.”
This is really something I still need to look into myself and I do think it might just warrant more investigation!
Thank you, Vincent – for sharing a little of the behind-the-scenes magic! It’s a privilege to have artists such as yourself exhibiting in our exhibitions and we look forward to seeing more of your striking artworks!
- The Pencil Art of Vincent Reid
- @vincereidart
- www.reidstudios.co.za
