JAMES ERIC RICHARDSON

I have been interested in the arts from a young age and have continued to develop my style and approach through college and by independent studies with other artist as time has gone on. When in school, I had the opportunity to travel much and it affected my perception greatly on what brings joy to me as an artist and what I choose to put into the world. With my time on safaris in south Africa and studying abroad multiple times around the region of Florence Italy at The Florence School of Visual Arts and Santa Reperata International School of Fine Art,  I realized a correlation between what man has made in adoration of God and what beauty God has made in creation for the enjoyment of man. Its this relationship that ultimately inspires me in my work.

Since my graduation in Fine Arts at Missouri State University this approach has only evolved. My series of cathedrals, architectural cityscapes, florals and natural landscapes create a cohesive embodiment of this message of adoration. I believe it is what life is about for me to examine and create perspective around this message in a clear way of the dichotomy between God and man. Sometimes this is shown by simple imagery of light expanding of the texture of a flower or creating work of great size allowing the viewer to experience the space and light that fills a cathedral to which they can imagine the many hands by artisans and sometimes slaves that it took to create things of such wonder. Because to understand this relationship we need to understand the story of truth that underlines our faults and reverence of God and his compassion and grace for us.