Artist Sally Reeves works in a variety of mediums but particularly enjoys painting landscapes and historic sites from her hometown of Camp Verde.
Reeves is a fifth-generation Camp Verde resident whose family came to the area by wagon train in the 1800s. She said that her family is full of creators, including musicians and painters, and that her parents were long-time musicians in the area.
“I grew up listening to my parents play music, so it just felt very second nature to be doing something creative,” Reeves said, adding that her parents inspired her by encouraging her to try new things. For instance, she recalled that when her mother wanted new cabinets, she checked out a book from the library, built them herself and still has them in her home to this day. Reeves said that she was taught that just because she didn’t know how to do something, she should not let that stop her from doing it.
Her first painting was one that she made with a finger painting given to her by an aunt.
“I felt like I was in heaven,” Reeves said. “It was a core memory.”
Reeves was also influenced by her art teacher at Camp Verde High School, John McIntyre, who taught silversmithing.
“He was such a huge advocate for us,” Reeves said. “He had a jewelry lab and he really encouraged me.”
She has gotten back into silversmithing over the past year and her daughter now works in the field as well. Reeves also makes jewelry and does photography and clay work.
Reeves said that she is inspired by the landscapes, history, wildlife and Western and American Indian cultures of Camp Verde and incorporates local themes into her art, as in the case of the ceramic mugs she made that resemble local trees.
“I feel so grateful to be here in Camp Verde and to be able to live here in the hometown that I love so much,” Reeves said. “When I drive down Main Street it just feels like home.”
One of Reeves’ most popular paintings is one that she made of the historic Clear Creek Church. She painted it from a reference photo she took around 1990, back when the church had wood shake shingles, which made its appearance closer to that it would have had in the 1800s. She currently plans on painting a series of important sites and landmarks around the area and is presently at work on a depiction of Montezuma Castle.
“They’re a part of our everyday life and they’re a part of our history,” Reeves said. “I think they’re important because of the fact that we see them almost every single day … I want to keep these places in our memories and in our hearts.”
While Reeves often paints Western landscapes and wildlife, she also works in fantasy art with bold, saturated colors.
“I love to combine several different styles and techniques in my paintings and other art,” Reeves said. “It’s always changing. Some are very realistic, bordering on trompe-l’oeil, while some pieces are more of a play with color, intensity and non-realism. Many pieces are experimental, others are created in the flow state and others have a very clear intention.”
Reeves said that she must create, and if she isn’t creating she feels stagnant. “Art takes priority,” Reeves emphasized, observing that her kitchen table has become her art studio. She said that art is a spiritual process for her.
“I would love to encourage anybody who’s thinking about doing things artistically and creatively to not worry about what it’s going to look like,” Reeves said. “Just do it because it’s so good for your soul. It’s very therapeutic. Go crazy and combine things and different colors and whatever comes to you, but never be afraid to also get professional training by people who are really good.”
