soonerbum's photostream

As a young teenager my parents took our family to Estes Park, CO on a summer vacation and I saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time. It was a seminal event in my life. The beauty of the mountains, the crisp, clean air, and the perfume of the pines have remained with me throughout my life. Returning to those mountains as often as possible has restored and refreshed my spirit as nothing else could.

In my younger years I pursued photography as a hobby but in midlife I yearned for something more creative and quite by accident took up painting. I read everything our library had on the subject but soon realized I need more formal instruction. I was lucky enough to find three different instructors over the years who encouraged and stimulated me to learn more and to never give up.

It was natural that my love of the mountains with their visual impact became the driving force in my oil paintings and continues to be the major source of inspiration. Living in Oklahoma with its rich Native American heritage provides the other source. I prefer to work in oils. Their brilliance of color results in paintings that are rich and vivid while their slow drying time makes them malleable and gives me a chance to work the paint around and correct mistakes. I attempt to convey my awe and sense of wonder of the world around me, a struggle that have completely captivated my imagination. I try to paint light, not just objects; for without light there would be no drama, no passion, and no beauty. I hope that my paintings move the viewer in a positive way, touching sensibilities inherent in human nature. To me, art is a search to find poetry in the simple things of life. It becomes an expression of love (or insanity, if you're a pessimist); the hope that there is, indeed, goodness in the world around us.


You can view my artwork at: RichardEdde.mosaicglobe.com

Please visit my blog at: paintingguerrilla.blogspot.com