Edward Arnold Reep

1918 - 2013

BiographyEdward Reep (1918- 2013) Born: Brooklyn, NY; Studied: Art Center School (Los Angeles); Member: American Watercolor Society, California Water Color Society. Edward Reep grew up in Southern California. He became interested in watercolor painting while studying with Stanley Reckless and received further instruction from Barse Miller. During World War II, he became a combat artist for the United States Army and was sent to Italy. With the war going on all around him, Reep managed to paint depictions of what was happening. These watercolor and gouache works became property of the War Department at the Pentagon. Additional war-time works produced after 1945 are in various museums including the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.

As a result of his outstanding contributions to war art, Reep was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to help finance his pursuit of art. From 1947 to 1950, he painted, exhibited and taught art at the Art Center School. In the 1950s, he worked with one of his former teachers, Emil Bisttram, at the Bisttram School of Art. He also began a nineteen year job as an art instructor for the Chouinard Art Institute during this era.

Although he has never restricted himself to any one medium, Reep has often painted with watercolors throughout his career. His works from the late 1930s are classic California Style regional watercolors. By the 1950s, he was working in the more modern abstract style for which he received several important awards and some national exposure. Since that time, he has continued to develop his personal style of art. He was hired as chairman of the art department and honored as Artist in Residence at East Carolina University and has authored two books: "The Content of Watercolor" and "A Combat Artist in World War II."

Biographical information:

Interview with Ed Reep, 1983.

Biography courtesy of California Watercolors 1850-1970,

©2002 Hillcrest Press, Inc.

Courtesy of CaliforniaWatercolor.com

Person TypeIndividual