Art has always been a part of Reid's life. He grew up in Plattsburgh, New York, in a house filled with the creations of his parents: abstract paintings and landscape photography by his father and woodworking projects and architectural drawings by his mother. This early exposure to the arts led Reid to major in art at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont, where he was introduced to the work of the late Vermont painter Frank Hewitt. He supplemented his course work there with summer courses at Plattsburgh State, where he developed his photography skills, was introduced to painter George Hofmann, and worked extensively with sculptor Don Osborn. After completing his art degree at Saint Michael's College, Reid worked as a picture framer and at a commercial design firm for several years in the Washington, D.C. area. While learning much during that time, with exposure to a variety of techniques and concepts, time for his own creative work was limited. Missing upstate New York and Vermont, he returned to school and completed his math degree at the University of Maryland, returning to the Lake Champlain Valley in early 2000. "I now have the opportunity to concentrate on my own artwork, expanding on old ideas, developing a variety of new ideas, and incorporating some of the mathematical and design concepts that I've picked up over the years." While not immediately obvious, much of Reid's work has been influenced by the styles and techniques of both of his parents. "I feel that my work is a blend of their talents, incorporating elements inherited from each of them combined with my own experiences, interests, and techniques, and synthesized into something unique."