Artist Statement
I am a Colorado-based artist working in acrylic and mixed media. My paintings explore the American West through a contemporary lens, reimagining familiar narratives with bold color, texture, and vintage imagery.
I’m particularly interested in bringing a fresh, modern edge to Western art, blending nostalgia with abstraction to challenge traditional perceptions of the West.
My process begins with a search through vintage photographs, drawing from my own family’s archives, plus museum and library collections. I start each piece with a vivid acrylic underpainting, then sand, scrape, and rebuild the surface to reveal unexpected textures. Layers of photo transfer, vintage ephemera, paint, collage, pattern, and shape are added to create the final composition.
Ultimately, my work invites viewers to reconsider the spirit and imagery of the West, offering a perspective that feels both rooted in history and open to new interpretation.
Artist CV
Education
Bachelor of Fine Art, Concentration in Graphic Design, Colorado State University
Professional Background
Over a 40-year career, Reen Axtell worked across the creative industry as a graphic designer, creative director, and manager of creative services in advertising agencies, corporate in-house design teams, and her own freelance practice. In 2018, she founded Brilliant Blue Studios, which evolved into Reen Axtell Art in 2022.
Gallery Representation
Gallery 1261, Denver, Colorado
Public Collections
Delta Sky Club, Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado
Exhibitions
2026
Icons for a New West, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO (Jan 10 – Jan 30)
Tilting West, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO (June 4 — Aug 23)
2025
Icons for a New West, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO (Jan 9 – Jan 28)
Stampede Western Art Exhibit, Greeley, CO (June 24 – July 6)
42nd Annual All Colorado Art Show, Curtis Center for the Arts, Greenwood Village, CO (July 12 – Aug 29
Spotlight Artist, Platte Collections Art Gallery, Colorado Springs, CO (Oct 1 – Nov 30)
Small Works, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO (Dec 3 – Dec 31)
2024
Contemporary Realism Now, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO (Jan 6 – Jan 27)
Introductions, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO (June – July)
Badass Women of the West, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO (Nov 22 – Dec 28)
2023
Western Spirit Art Show, CFD Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY (Mar – Apr)
Arvada Center Fine Art Market, Arvada Center Galleries, Arvada, CO (Nov – Dec)
New Frontiers Art Show, CFD Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY (Nov – Dec)
2022
Transcending the West, Artworks Gallery, Loveland, CO (Oct – Dec)
Publications & Interviews
Western Art Collector, Show Preview: Gallery 1261, A Fresh Spin, Jan 2026
Western Art & Architecture, Illuminations, Oct/Nov 2025
Dinner With Artists, Rose Fredrick Online Interview, 2024
Workshops & Continuing Education
2022
Techniques in Acrylic Paint, Tubac School of Fine Art, Tubac, AZ (Instructor: Amy Brakeman Livezey)
Painting in Watercolor, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO (Instructor: Pam McLaughlin)
Painting in Watercolor, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (Instructor: Dennis Pendleton)
2021
Pastels & Oils, Lincoln Gallery, Loveland, CO (Instructor: Mike Beeman)
2018
Working in Pastels, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (Instructor: Judith Scott)
2016
Plein Air Landscape, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (Instructor: Doug Dawson)
2015
Studio Landscape with Oil & Pastel, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (Instructor: Doug Dawson)
Acrylic Landscapes, Scottsdale Artists’ School, Scottsdale, AZ (Instructor: William Hook)