Richard grew up in the natural beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Interested in art from a young age he studied graphic design and studio arts in college. In 1998 he decided to move on from a 14-year career as a designer and animator where he earned 2 Emmys for television broadcast design. Relocating to St. Paul to train in traditional oil painting techniques. He immersed himself in study, drawing and painting from the figure 5 days a week, refining his craft while attending The Atelier, the Bougie Studio and H&P Studios.
During his studies he discovered plein air painting, the challenge and reward of completing a piece working directly from nature. He was immediately drawn to landscape as a subject, connecting to his rural roots. The past 25 years Richard has participated in plein air events around the country including in Santa Fe New Mexico, Telluride Colorado and Laguna California. Painting has opened up opportunities to travel and paint in Italy, Mexico, and all over the United States. Richard is a former president of The Outdoor Painters of Minnesota. He teaches both studio oil painting and plein air workshops. His work has been recognized with many awards and is in private collections all around the country. He currently resides in St. Paul Minnesota.
Artist Statement:
A few years ago I was painting on the Lake Superior shore north of Grand Marais, it was a bitterly cold morning in March. My hands were numbing, the wind was cutting right through all my layers, it was awful, and yet I was aware of how happy I was to be right there doing what I do. The reward for being an artist is the time spent painting. Not awards or exhibits, but the act of making art. The entire world disappears except for your effort to express something honestly on a canvas about the way you see the world, that’s why I paint.