“Art is everywhere, except it has to pass through a creative mind” – Louise Nevelson.
Rick Shephard was born in New Zealand and spent his formative years in Auckland, Fiji and Eastern Canada. In his late 20’s he and his wife lived in New Caledonia for 4 years.
“I see myself as a bit of a gypsy – having lived in several countries and observing and experiencing the different cultures and landscapes”.
“As a young child I watched my mother paint landscapes and flowers in water colour – so I would dabble and sketch learning from her”.
Rick describes his style as a blend of Impressionism and Tonalism landscapes. He uses moods, emotions and memories to inspire him to paint. Rick tends to lean towards trees and open landscapes and he likes to create ambient light for dramatic skies.
Rick enjoys using diverse techniques such as finger painting, brush, palette knife and sponge depending on the composition.
When Rick is not painting he swims laps at the local pool – whilst all the time thinking about the next composition.