Now in his early 60s, Chet Reneson believes he is in his artistic prime. 'I really feel I'm doing the best work I've ever done. Creating strong shapes and using contrasting colors seems to come easier than in the past. I'm also using a lot more bright colors and with a lot more success. That's not to say that I'm not working hard; I always work hard on every painting. It's just that I don't have to struggle as much to achieve what I want. At this stage, I'm painting for myself. . . from my heart and soul. I have a chance to do something significant in sporting art, and I don't have time for anything but that.'"

"For the past 30 years, Reneson has visited Georgetown, Great Exuma - usually in June when it is not winter, when it is windy and the tourists are few, with his wife, Penny. He characterizes these trips as adventures full of watercolor experimentation when he can throw contrasting colors around."

"Following art school, Reneson worked commercially for a number of years before selling his first painting in 1966. Among his heroes are Homer, Cezanne, Wyeth, Hopper and van Gogh. An inveterate sportsman, Chet lives with his wife to whom he has been married for 39 years in Old Lyme, Conn., in a restored 200-year-old colonial home."

Source:
Chet & Penny Reneson

Chet Reneson graduated from the University of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1960. Under the watchful eye of his teacher Henrik Mayer, Reneson learned the value of simplicity, meaning light, dark, and strong. For the past fifty years, Reneson’s painting has remained true to his early mentor’s teaching, encompassing many subjects including wildlife, duck hunting, upland bird shooting, big game fishing, fly fishing, and Bahamian scenes.

Reneson’s work has graced the covers of "Sporting Classics," "Gray’s Sporting Journal," and "Sports Afield" among others. He is a past member of the Connecticut Watercolor Association and the Old Lyme Art Association. He was the Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year in 1982 and the Atlantic Salmon Federation Artist of the Year in 1982 and 2001.

Reneson is known to have completed only a few dozen acrylics in his lifetime, making this well-executed dawn on the marsh scene a true gem.