Raised in Minnesota, Richard developed an early love of nature made available by a handful of important heroes in his story. From an early age, experiences of the natural world instilled an acute appreciation for forests, prairies, cropland, aquatic and terrestrial life, weather, geology and personal navigation. Richard had unforgettable mentorship while attaining studio art and philosophy degrees at Linfield University in Oregon and an MFA from Arizona State University. While at Tempe, Richard spent a pivotal day with PhD researchers in biology at ASU. With their electron microscope dialed in on the thorax of an oak moth, the PhD candidates revealed profound and immutable aspects of the unseen natural world - our access to which, in their words, "is only limited by the power of instruments we can develop to observe and learn from them." 

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All of Richard's work in some way, seeks to express the imprint of time outdoors and the impact of the little oak moth. 

 

After graduate school, Richard settled in Seattle, where he built a career as both an artist and museum exhibit designer, developing expertise in technical design. Immersing himself in the Pacific Northwest, he spent much of the 1990s climbing many of the highest peaks in the western United States. Today, Richard still spends a great deal of time outdoors, returning to favorite places across Washington while discovering new ones along the way. Whether standing knee-deep in golden wheat fields, trekking throughout the Columbia Basin or wandering Washington's rugged coastline, he draws inspiration from time spent in these places. Back in the studio, those experiences continue to shape his painting, poetry, and other creative pursuits.

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