When did you start painting?
Richie: “As far as I can remember, I always drew a lot when I was little. I grew up seeing my father painting, although he didn’t teach us I was exposed to painting early in my childhood. So nostalgic when I smell Turpertine, it’s reminds me of my childhood. Back then our house smells of turpentine not of scented candles.”

What medium do you paint in?
Richie: “I used traditional watercolor material mostly Daniel Smith watercolor but in terms of tools I’m very particular. I start of my painting with big soft squirrel hair brush then I generate my shapes and tonal values with golden Taklon hair and finishing my painting with nylon synthetic brushes for the calligraphy works and French details for the center of interest.”

What subjects do you paint?
Richie: “The multi-facets of life and it’s surroundings (Mother Nature). I like the transition moments in time, from break of dawn color, dramatic soft cast shadow, mid-afternoon very contrast tonal values of color and crispy shadow edges to about the sun to set, the warm saturated atmospheric color.”

Overall my lifetime quest as an artist is to encapsulate the split seconds scene of nature in my artwork and human emotions into tangible in the eyes and touch the viewer’s hearts.

I consider my-self taught artist but I have a very solid fundamentals in geometric forms and drawings skills since I’m a professor at architecture school teaching architectural presentation. So sketching is so natural to me.

What do you specialise in?
Richie: “Pleinair painting landscapes in Watercolor and Figurative painting for Studio works.”

Fun fact
Richie: “When I’m  not painting probably I am playing basketball, or Hiking on the woods.”

Have you had any exhibitions?
Richie: “Yes, I travel all over united states to compete Pleinair events, last year I had 3 one man shows.”

Has your work been published?
Richie: “Yes, in the American Watercolor weekly and Texas local news paper;”
americanwatercolor.net
www.victoriaadvocate.com

Have you won any art awards?
Richie: “Yes, 2020 PACE ( PleinAir Convention and Expo) Santa Fe. Second place on 2020 Lighthouse Gallery Pleinair Festival.
EnPleinair Texas 2019 Spirit of San Angelo award. Second Place Outdoor Painters Society Pleinair 2019 in Galveston Texas
Best of Show in 2020 All Member exhibit in Corpus Christi Art Center
Art Center Corpus Christi all members Show 2018-2019 Back to Back 1st placer

Which artists do you admire?
Richie: Joseph Zbukvic and Alvaro Castagnet

Artist Statement
I believe that the mark of a good artist is to be able to capture the different facets of life in his painting, the mode, ambiance, etc. In a sense, not just illustrating or recording what he sees but expressing what he feels. As a plain-air artist, watercolor was the perfect medium of choice: handy, quick to dry, yet delivers a truly magnificent work of art. Trust me, if you paint with no fear and a smile on your face, you can paint a masterpiece every time!

Connect with Richie
vioswatercolor72@gmail.com
www.vioswatercolor.com
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