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Richard began studying art at Clayton State University. Tommy Daughtry was an immense influence while there.
Later transferring to Georgia State, Richard achieved his Bachelor of Visual Arts degree with a major in photography
and a minor in art history, drawing and painting, printmaking and jewelry making. Richard later studied for several years at the Atlanta College of
Art. Meeting Nancy Honea at the ACA in 1991 sparked his interest in the art of portraiture. She guided, and
continues to as a friend and mentor, Richard for several years of study. A constant student, Richard has gone
on to study with many regional and nationally known figures.
Richard finds great fascination with capturing the nobility and infinitely expressive nature of God’s ultimate
earthly creation, man. Richard has several themes that he continues to visit. One is the rendering of historical
carousel horses, aircraft paintings of World Wars I and II, and other subjects with an old-time or historical
significance. As well as subjects that rekindle the memories of childhood innocence. Recently one of Richard's
carousel horse paintings, 'Steed to Dreamland', won Best of Show at a Newnan-Coweta Art Association
exhibition. Richard also occasionally paints subjects to which he gleefully assigns thought provoking titles to
guide the viewer into the often secret realms of the image.
Richard prefers drawing to painting. “Picking up a piece of charcoal or pastel
is so immediate and direct. Maybe even a bit primal, much like the first cave dweller who picked up a piece of
burnt wood and scrawled on the cave walls his expression of the world around him."
The “biggest thrill” of Richard’s art career came in 1994, when his pastel painting, 'Transformation', was
exhibited at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta in a show entitled, Interpretations of Angels, that was held in
conjunction with a two-part play called “Angels in America.” Richard strived to achieve the energy of a stone angel statue coming to life. Stained glass design has been another successful
outlet for Richard’s creativity. He spent several years as a stained glass designer for a local studio. The talented artist did some of the glass work for the Fox Theatre’s restoration.
Many of his designs grace homes and businesses in the Metro Atlanta area.
Richard has been challenged in recent years by serious health problems, but still he endeavors to be the best
artist he can be. As workshops have become difficult for him, Richard has turned to concentrated study from books
and demonstrations.
Richard has been in many shows, both group and one man, and also has won many awards over the years. He recently
was featured in FOLIO, a magazine that caters to portrait artists and brokers nationwide. He is also a Juried member in the Portrait Society of Atlanta.
His outlook on art can best be summed up by his favorite quote, from Jean-Baptiste
Chardin, “One learns how to paint while failing.”
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