“My name is Richard Humphrey, a self-taught artist from Dedham, Massachusetts, just a few miles south of Boston. Primarily, I am a landscape painter with little to no formal lessons, training, or schooling… At the age of eight years old, I was told by an art instructor, a woman being paid to inspire, enlighten, motivate and teach, to burn my pencils and brushes and think about pursuing “another” form of creativity because, “a ‘talent’ for art is just not with you.” Those words stuck with me for a very long time! Being an eight year old child, I listened to the adult because ‘she knew better’ and quietly walked away from any pursuit of the Arts. Thirty years later, after the passing of my twin brother, I went out and bought some brushes, paints and canvases… I needed an outlet, and I found one!!!
I enjoy the natural scenery that surrounds us. Allowing yourself to open your eyes and appreciate and really “see” what’s in front of you can be an awe-inspiring moment… Art is whatever you make of it… A painting, a story, a photograph, a piece of writing that stays with you, a composition of music. For a painter, it can be about the colors of Autumn, the play of lights and shadows on a crowded city street, a crashing wave, freshly fallen snow and newly formed ice, reflections in a stream, or the majesty of a granite mountain peak. Nature is resplendent in forms, shapes, textures and colors. To capture these elements… In a word, Art!
Looking back on it now, I get a little bit of a chuckle because, yes, to some extent ‘talent’ can be important, but more so, there’s the willingness to learn and grow, and a determination and drive to achieve! It’s what you get when you can step back and say, ‘Hey, I DID this!!!'”
Richard Humphrey: portfolio