About Me
Hi! I’m Rick
I was born in San Francisco in 1956 and was exposed to the art world at an early age by my painter/photographer Grandmother. I have been exploring nature and making art since I was a child. I am fascinated by the beauty and wonder of wild places. My mission is to produce art that is honest and authentic to my being, and to honor a disappearing wilderness. What I am thinking about, or not thinking about when responding to the magic before me… is to create the illusion with jeweled strokes of color. My hope is that each stroke has an aesthetic value on its own…and when put together, hopefully adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
The basis of my art is observation of nature. I paint what I am experiencing in the moment. Using all my senses… responding to light, pattern, movement, color and the rest of the magic before me. My paintings are prayers to an ailing planet. My roots are plein air. I was influenced by the history of art and by my professors at the College of Marin, the University of Arizona and by artists at Rancho Linda Vista. I invite the viewer to share my sense of wonder and to explore the many visual pathways through the painting. I paint because I revere nature and I want to bring a piece home with me and share it with others.
My paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States, including: Eric Firestone Gallery in Tucson; Mo’s Gallery in Tucson; William Sawyer Gallery in San Francisco; Davis Dominguez Gallery in Tucson; The Hansen-Strong Gallery in Palo Alto, California; The Rancho Linda Vista Gallery in Oracle, Arizona; The Painter’s Place in Larkspur, California; Addi Galleries in Reno and Maui; the Las Vegas Museum of Art; and the Tucson Museum of Art. In addition, his works are in public, private and corporate collections, including: The University of Arizona; Beaver Creek Lodge in Vail, Colorado; Tumbling River Ranch in Grant, Colorado; Bourn Partners, in Tucson and the DeConcini Building in Tucson, Arizona. I am also an honorary member of the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild.
I received a studio art degree from the University of Arizona. I also have another passion using water as a medium. Along with being a professional artist, I am a former Olympic and World Champion swimmer and was a coach for the majority of my adult life working with four-year-old learn to swimmers up to gold medalist/world champions. I have been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the University of Arizona Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
I have three daughters: Angela, Tierra, and Jordan, and two granddaughters, Nola and Aili. I live with my wife, Carrie, in Tucson, Arizona.