Sketching Archives – Amphora Editions

July 18, 2017

Mary Balcomb – Student Work

Author Mary N. Balcomb (Sergei Bongart, Nicholai Fechin, William F. Reese, Robin-Robin: A Journal) was born April 29, 1928, in Mass, Michigan. After high school, from 1946-1948 she attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where she met her husband-to-be, Robert Balcomb.

The class she valued the most, and which had an effect on her for the rest of her life, was Quick Sketching—how to get the essence of the subject on paper very quickly. Below are ink/pastel drawings done in that manner. One can tell that by this young age, she was already a prodigious talent.

July 16, 2017

William F. Reese

“Mt. Shasta” hung in Mary Balcomb’s home for many years. It was painted from the eastern side of the mountain, a view not seen by most who travel the I-5.

Born in South Dakota and raised in Central Washington, William F. Reese painted for over 50 years. He created an astonishing body of work that includes oils, pastels, watercolors, sculptures, etchings, and instructional books. Though prolific and proficient in several media, Reese was likely best known as one of America’s premier plein air artists, reveling in the majesty of the Northwest and setting up his easel outdoors in all kinds of weather and in every kind of location.