Through June 14, North Central College will be showcasing a collection of oil-paintings by Chicago-based artist Brian Ritchard.
The exhibit, titled “Turbine Painting Series,” is free and on display to the public in the College’s Schoenherr Gallery at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. The artist will greet visitors at a reception held at the gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 6. Complementary refreshments will be served.
In 2008, Ritchard began working on a series of oil paintings, which he calls “Turbine Paintings,” inspired by 17th century Dutch Landscape paintings.
According to the artist, the series communicates “a passion for painting, first and foremost. But just as important is my subject matter, which are American wind farms.”
As both an artist and an individual, Ritchard is interested in sustainability and in using nature wisely, gently and with ingenuity. All of which, according to the artist, is “wind power in a nutshell.”
“As a landscape painter, wind farms are a great subject because they exemplify our willingness to shift our thinking about how we interact with nature,” says the Chicago painter.
He has numerous influences and inspirations, but Ritchard’s inspiration is not limited to a certain time period. He loves old paintings, and is also inspired by 20th century abstract expressionists like Joan Mitchell and Willem DeKooning.
“Good painting is good painting, regardless of style or time period,” says Ritchard.
The artist finds his own inspiration for his art in his everyday life as well, either by accident or by design.
“I find inspiration pretty much everywhere, if my senses are sharp and I am being mindful of my surroundings. My job as a painter is to put myself in that junction all the time. I don’t wait for inspiration to find me, I strive instead to constantly be curious and work-minded,” says Ritchard.
Curiosity plays a large part in the painter’s creative process. He adds, “Human creativity has many forms, but curiosity is always the spark that gets things moving.”
In terms of the physical process, in which he creates his artwork, Ritchard uses traditional oil painting methods and materials with oil paints being his favorite medium to work with. However, his mental process is entirely contemporary.
“I use social media to grow my studio practice and to build my audience. But when I paint, I paint old school. I find it reassuring that I am participating in an ancient practice that has been around since forever,” says Ritchard.
Ritchard has exhibited his paintings in Chicago, New York City, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, Kansas City, Atlanta and in more than 100 public, private and corporate art collections. His work has been published in the New Art Examiner, New American Paintings, The Chicago Tribune, New City, The Tampa Weekly Planet, The South Bend Tribune as well as numerous academic publications.
The oil painter has earned his Master of Fine Art Degree from the University of Chicago in 1990. However, Ritchard’s background as an artist has encompassed his entire memory. He says that there was never a time in his life when he thought of himself as anything but an artist.
“I was a restless, creative kid who moved a lot because of my parent’s lives and jobs. When I started drawing, it was off to the races. Of course, most kids love to draw. I just kept at it, and eventually drawing and painting just became a part of my normal everyday life,” says Ritchard.
This artist is always working on something new. Whether it may be a new project, show or commission, Ritchard says, “I have a very robust studio practice and I basically am always working.”
This is quite true since the artist has also been active as a curator, having organized exhibitions for the Northern Illinois University Gallery, the Beverly Art Center, the Jan Cicero Gallery and others. He has served on various panels and has been a visiting artist at numerous institutions, most recently at the University of Notre Dame. Currently, Ritchard serves as the academic advisor for fine art and art history at Columbia College Chicago.
His advice to upcoming artists is to “be ready to work your a*s off!”
“Successful artists do not happen by accident. It takes actual time and effort and a million other things,” says the Chicago-based artist.
However, “it is not an impossible dream,” Ritchard reassures. “Thousands of us make a living doing it, and you can too.”
Most artists, according to the oil painter, find the “starving artist” stereotype to be offensive, just like any other stereotype. He points out that the art world is a multi-billion dollar international market, a fact alone that is reassuring.
As a final piece of advice, the “Turbine Paintings” artist encourages aspiring artists to “grab a helmet and get in the game!”
To learn more, visit brianritchard.com.
