TMCC teacher, watercolor artist Hervin dies at 51   Steve Timko   Reno-Gazette Journal   12-10-11

Reiko Hervin in a photograph provided by the Hervin family. / Courtesy Hervin family   
     Reiko Hervin web site     Lone Tree Gallery paintings by Reiko Hervin
Reiko Hervin of Wellington, who died Nov. 30 at age 51 of injuries suffered in a crash, was remembered as a talented artist and a gentle, encouraging teacher.
     As Hervin was driving east on Nevada 208 in Douglas County on Nov. 6, a truck pulling a trailer in the opposite direction drifted off the road, the Nevada Highway Patrol reported. As the driver brought the truck back onto the road, the trailer became disengaged and crashed into Hervin's car, the NHP said. She died later that month at a Reno hospital.
     Hervin was a graphic designer in Japan and graduated with honors from Tokyo Design School. She moved to the United States in 1993 and to Nevada in 1997.
     Stremmel Gallery gallery director Turkey Stremmel had Hervin do two watercolor paintings for Renown Regional Medical Center. She saw other work by Hervin in a catalog and felt she would be right for the Renown artwork.
     "She was very talented with watercolor," Stremmel said. She described Hervin's style as being transparent watercolor, which Stremmel said she felt was a more difficult style because once a color is put on, it can't be taken off.
     Hervin's two paintings of koi fish were hung at the Renown Institute for Cancer.
"There's a nice movement to them. The colors are lovely. They're very lively," Stremmel said.
     Hervin painted the pictures from the perspective of looking at the fish in the water from above, and since she knew about koi growing up in Japan, she was able to put great detail in the paintings, Stremmel said.
     Jan Brandt of Reno took watercolor classes from Hervin through Truckee Meadows Community College and called her talented but also humble and encouraging to students.
     "She was probably the most welcoming and sweet teacher I've ever had the privilege of taking classes from," Brandt said.
     As a teacher, Hervin recognized different people have different styles and encouraged people to find their own style, Brandt said. Hervin's style included an unusual amount of detail, she said.
     "She demonstrated often, and it was magic to watch her skill show up and change a blank sheet of paper into a three-dimensional feeling," Brandt said.
     Brandt spent 14 years teaching Southern California community college students about computers and said that experience as an instructor made her realize how special of a teacher Hervin was.
     "The connection she made with her students made her different and very special," Brandt said, later adding: "I would say she encouraged me to overcome my fear of producing something sub-rate and suggested to me what whatever I painted was an opportunity to produce something beautiful."
     TMCC program director Amy Williams said Hervin had a broad range of artistic skills.
     "She's an amazing artist and a very dedicated teacher," Williams said. "People felt like she just changed the way they saw art in general and changed their artistic style. She was kind, gentle and encouraging.
     "Some artists see other artists as competition, whereas she just wanted to improve everyone she worked with," Williams added.
     Details on a January memorial service were not yet available.
 

Wellington artist dies after November 6 accident at Jack Wright Pass  Staff Report   Reno-Gazette Journal   12-8-11
Filed Under   Mason Valley News   Yerington News
     A Wellington woman injured in a suspected alcohol-related crash Nov. 6 on State Route 208 at Jack Wright Summit in Douglas County died last Wednesday, Nov. 30, the Nevada Highway Patrol reported.
     Reiko Hervin, 51, a well-known artist and art instructor, was at Renown Regional Medical Center when she died about 1:20 p.m., the NHP said.
     The NHP reported the fatal accident occurred when Jon E. McElhaney, 34, of Gardnerville, was driving a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 MegaCab pickup west on State Route 208 on Nov. 6 at around 6:40 p.m. while towing a two-axle flatbed trailer holding a 1978 Jeep CJ-5.
     The NHP said McElhaney allowed the Dodge to drift off the right edge of the road, and when he drove back onto the roadway, the trailer uncoupled and collided with an eastbound 2006 Toyota Scion that Hervin was driving. When the trailer hit the Toyota, the Jeep broke free and rolled over the top of the Scion, the NHP said.
     The Dodge stopped near the shoulder and McElhaney and his three passengers were not injured in the collision, the NHP said.
     Hervin was returning home to Wellington after shopping and picking up her paintings from the Carson Valley Art Association's Scholarship Benefit Show in Minden on Nov. 6, the Gardnerville Record-Courier reported.
     After the accident, Hervin was transported to Renown Medical Center by Care Flight with serious injuries.
McElhaney was given field sobriety tests at the scene and subsequently arrested on charges of suspicion of felony drunken driving causing substantial bodily harm. He was booked into the Douglas County jail and was released after posting bail.
     According to a story in the Record-Courier, Kurt Hervin met Reiko in Yokohama while he worked there, and they married on Dec. 7, 1986. They came to the United States in 1993, with their son Hiroki, a Smith Valley High School graduate. He said Reiko would have wanted her art students and others to continue painting and "creating beautiful things."

Woman injured in Nov. 6 crash in Douglas County dies Wednesday at the hospital   12-1-11
     The scene of the crash in a photograph provided by the Nevada Highway Patrol.
     A Wellington woman injured in a suspected alcohol-related crash Nov. 6 on Nevada 208 in Douglas County died on Wednesday, the Nevada Highway Patrol reports.
     Reiko Hervin, 51, was at Renown Regional Medical Center when she died about 1:20 p.m., the NHP said.
     The NHP reports Jon E. McElhaney, 34, of Gardnerville was driving a 2008 Dodge Ram 25000 MegaCab pickup on Nevada 208 on Nov. 6 at 6:41 p.m. and was towing a a two-axle flatbed trailer holding a 1978 Jeep CJ-5.
     McElhaney allowed the Dodge to drift off the right edge of the road and when he drove back onto the road the trailer uncoupled and collided with the 2006 Toyota Scion that Hervin was driving in the other direction, the NHP said. When the trailer hit the Toyota the Jeep broke free and rolled over the top of the Scion, the NHP said.
     The Dodge stopped and McElhaney and his three passengers were not hurt and were not involved the collision, the NHP said.
     McElhaney was booked on suspicion of felony drunken driving causing substantial bodily harm. He was booked into the Douglas County jail and was released on bail. A prosecutor was not immediately available to comment on the status of the case against him.
 

                                                                               Jon E. McElhaney, 34,
                                                                               of Gardnerville /
                                                                  Douglas County Sheriff's Office