SEATTLE — Steve Reip paints houses for a living. But he collects art for life.
More than four decades ago, the Lake City man first traded his services, painting an artist's home in exchange for a piece that caught his eye.
"It's called Meteor," Reip said. "It's a pinball machine."
He never stopped collecting. In addition to barter, he also buys.
"I've always had about a two to three-hundred-dollar budget every month," said Reip.
Now, Reip owns hundreds of high-quality pieces from Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles artists.
The most valuable object of art is worth more than 70,000 dollars.
Reip said, "I have art that's a few hundred dollars, too."
Even the bathroom boasts works from major artists. Sometimes things get a little cramped in his modest, one-bedroom apartment.
"So what I do is rotate," Reip said. He now keeps most of his pieces in storage.
Steve Reip ran out of space long ago. But he'll never run out of passion.
"It just brings such energy to my life," Reip said. "It really means a lot."
