Reif has been recognized continually throughout his career for his talents, and has won awards in numerous competitions. Reif, was honored by the Pastel Society of the West Coast as a Distinguished Pastellist. He also is a full member of the long-standing and prestigious California Art Club.

	Just completed winter scenes of Lake Tahoe, and desert scenes from Palm Springs.
	Working on a series of vineyards of Livermore for a client
	Just returned from painting in VIrginia and the Carolinas.

REIF ERICKSON is a regional artist with works in public, corporate, and private collections throughout the Pacific Coast. REIF (pronounced ray-f) has been pursuing his art career for the last twenty-eight years and contributes much of his success to his continuing practice of painting "on location" in what he refers to as Fresh Air™ painting. Through careful observation and technical expertise, Reif achieves masterful landscapes of California, Hawaii, Alaska, and the Southwest.

"Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you enjoy it and share it with your friends. I touch the Earth with my heart and paint the Spirit of the Land. My paintings are more than pigment and paper. They are light, and heart, and I paint the heart of the land. Join me in my earthscapes and go beyond what is seen. Distill the essence of sound, sand, wind, and sun. Make the journey with me and touch the Earth again."

A native of Eastern Washington, Reif returned to university studies at the age of 26 and graduated with honors from Gonzaga University in 1981. Shortly thereafter, the Russian born colorist Sergei Bongart influenced Reif to paint outdoors. Reif is recognized continually for his talents including: Award of Excellence (Best Quick Draw) La Quinta Desert Plein Air (2001); Best of Show, Yosemite Renaissance XVI traveling exhibition (2001); acceptance into the California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition-Pasedena (1995,2001,2002); as well as one of 50 paintings chosen for the International IAPS Pastel Biennial Exhibition (2001). Reif was the 1991 honoree by the Pastel Society of the West Coast as a Distinguished Pastellist. He is a member of the prestigious California Art Club, a charter member of the Sierra Pastel Society, and past president of the Pastel Society of the West Coast.

Ecology: “Art enriches our lives, and celebrates the diversity of our humanity. As a landscape painter, I am deeply interested in preserving the beauty, diversity, and majesty of our environment for future generations to enjoy, (and paint!) Before there can be preservation, there must be awareness and appreciation. To this goal, I paint. Through my art I wish to heighten awareness of the treasure we all share by painting the splendor of the Earth today.”

Art in Education: “Expose your children to great art early, through images, concerts, theater, dance and tours to museums. Let them ‘catch’ your own enthusiasm. Art isn’t about children being expressive, it is about learning and experiencing the creative process and then applying this to many other aspects of life. Valuable skills to last a life time.

Research conducted early this year found that Americans believe that arts education is important for children’s development, more important, even, than joining peer groups such as the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and participating in competitive sports.

Learning about the arts is fourth on the list of activities respondents believed important to a child’s development, topped only by reading for pleasure, using computers for educational enrichment, and religious activities.

Some of the positive results of teaching arts in schools are increased creativity, self-expression, and independence. Children also develop more motivation and learn how to apply skills. The study also reports, …there is a fear that, without the arts, children will turn out to be robots who obey orders but cannot function on their own.

Although study respondents believed children through K-12 should learn art forms including music, dance, theater, and visual and literary arts, at the same time they didn’t know how to support arts in education, and in general believed someone else would ensure education include arts in the core curriculum. (Excepts from Arts & Business Council of Sacramento newsletter, fall 2001) and your current projects.”