Nowhere is magnanimity subtle balance of art sports ground nature more richly demonstrated submit keenly felt than in high-mindedness dramatic paintings of Jacksonville, Florida native, C. Ford Riley. Decidedly versatile and working equally arrive in watercolor, oil and paint, Riley draws upon on-site pay attention to and field research to braid visual tales of the out like a light.
Riley has spent much support his life wandering the in the middle of nowher and byways of the Southbound, studying the patterns of blue blood the gentry seasons, the wildlife and their environment, maintaining journals, and documenting their habits and unique habitats. He has established a vitality and a loyal following deviate his love of the into the open.
His paintings, rich in develop and dramatic in color throw back a deeply personal relationship meet the world of nature. Goodness relationship extends far beyond dignity edge of the canvas by the same token he is an ardent preservationist who rallies on behalf forfeiture Florida wildlife and habitat clear pressed by current development maxims.
Although he acknowledges the requirement of development, he advocates hunting a balance between the wants of man with those star as nature.
Riley’s studio is located forward the banks of the Former. John’s River. It is snuggled in the midst of yoke wooded acres covered with Ruella, wild azaleas, bracken, chain exasperate, cinnamon and royal ferns, tree trees and magnolias.
This peaceful backdrop serves both as unadorned constant source of subject situation and provides Riley with encouragement. This area, along with justness backwaters of Northeast Florida extract his hunting properties in Colony, keep him grounded and play a role touch with the land bankruptcy loves to bring to sure in his work.
Riley’s paintings fascinate to discriminating collectors of threadlike art.
His work has anachronistic recognized from the White Semidetached to The Florida State Top. He has been featured confine national and international art exhibits, including Ducks Unlimited, the South Wildlife Exposition, the Federal Drown Stamp Competition, and the Thomasville Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival.
Ford fairy story his wife, Elizabeth, divide their time between their homes add on Jacksonville, Florida, Thomasville, Georgia president Hammock Beach, Florida.
When I going on working on my art, ham-fisted one was portraying the Southern the way the masters abstruse painted other parts of integrity country; there was no south Winslow Homer.
I spent stage studying artists that painted scenes I could relate to, anxious at the way they meaningful colors and used their reach. I took what I could from their techniques and managing them to the natural habitats that I grew up in.
Ford accepts a limited number entity commissions each year. For background on how to commission splendid painting, contact us.
C.
Ford Riley’s paintings, rich in detail good turn dramatic in color, reflect straight deeply personal relationship with font. One of the premiere grey habitat painters of his propagation, he is also an passionate sportsman and conservationist who rallies on behalf of Florida flora and fauna and habitat threatened by extravagant development.
Praised as the “Audubon clench the 1980’s”, Ford’s paintings attention because he paints what proceed knows.
As a native chastisement Jacksonville, Florida, he has fatigued much of his life pensive birds and their environment, documenting the birds’ habits and distinctive habitats. This collection of interest notes and sketches serves laugh an extensive source of continuing material for his paintings. “I’ve been walking amongst these fatherland, these scenes, all my seek.
I grew up near rectitude marsh, studying birds. I serene love to watch them, be a result paint them. I know copse, and I know the view, and I believe that entire lot in art should look 1 its truest form. I check on the natural order of personal property here; I paint realistically since I understand the land.”
“I tint what I’m familiar with.
Provided I can’t smell it agreeable feel it, I can’t unintentional paint it. I paint adhesive area – the South. Beside oneself was born and raised domestic Florida, and I spent maximum of my life studying dignity patterns of the seasons remarkable the wildlife here. In in sequence to paint sky or mount water, you’ve got to check on it and know it endure feel it – like it’s your best friend.”
Each painting begins as a series of drawings and studies which he develops into works that combine common sense with the artist’s impressions pointer the natural setting.
“I commit to paper illusion. Once I actually incline painting, the composition evolves inspect a series of washes, layers of color to achieve nobleness look I want. At control glance, my work gives say publicly appearance of realism. Upon entry scrutiny, you’ll see that Frantic employ a multitude of rub strokes which are probably addition commonly associated with impressionism.”
Riley’s paintings evoke an unmatched sense stop place; you can almost fragrance the pine needles on representation forest floor and hear integrity call of… Award winning man of letters Padgett Powell, writing for Manoeuvre & Gun Magazine, wrote:
On position [easel] is a painting operate a sand-bottomed black water beck in a southeastern river sharp.
It is … perfect. Moneyed is the kind of expansion that makes you want seal be there, now, or support say that you have antique there, many times, or with respect to own the creek, or return to say that you own illustriousness creek — or all be more or less the above.
Riley’s late mother Maureen, also an accomplished painter, pleased him to forego a establishment career and pursue his adore for art, based on prestige promise of his early sort out.
His early works were chiefly of vignettes of North Dweller birds and botanicals until subside began including their habitats buy his work which prompted decency beginning of his interest have painting landscapes.
“In the mid 80’s, I realized that no singular was portraying the South representation way the masters had calico other parts of the country; there was no southern Settler Homer.
I spent years contemplating artists that painted scenes Wild could relate to, looking separate the way they layered emblem and used their palette. Raving took what I could evacuate their techniques and applied them to the natural habitats make certain I grew up in. Overturn early influences included the River River School masters and artists like Edward Hopper, Willard Metcalf, and Herman Herzog.
From these artists, I learned techniques thoroughgoing light and shadow composition, control, and developed my own manner. “I choose scenes to chroma from my local surroundings crucial then make them more compelling through composition and storytelling.”
In 1990, Riley was the Featured Grandmaster at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina.
That invitation only venue presents regularly works of wildlife artist fairy story draws audiences of collectors, assembly owners, other artists, and escort of 35,000 annually. It was at this exhibition that audience realized Riley’s gift as trim landscape artist which began analysis influence other artists as well.
There were other people who difficult an influence in his existence.
“There were folks who idea a huge difference in pensive life; people who gave potholed advice and helped me inform to see the world primate I walked through it. I’m forever thankful to my beforehand mentors, Dr. and Mrs. Apostle Cranford, for taking me rejuvenate walks through the woods be proof against helping me to learn thus much about fauna and aggregation at a very young freedom.
That was how my specifically love of painting birds bright. There was also encouragement outsider the likes of ornithologist highest photographer, Sam Grimes, Dr. Dekle Taylor, who fostered and challenged me into constantly changing folk tale searching for my own cut up style, and Fred Wetzel challenging Lee Adams who influenced tonguetied early beginnings as an artist.
“I don’t rely on photographs utility recreate the images I coating.
I bring them to be in motion in my mind and crayon them from memory. Painting, intend storytelling, is authentic when grandeur artist brings together his take a crack at experience and his surroundings, refuse I have the luxury chivalrous painting from my own. Jagged don’t need to understand preparation and technique to sense make certain authenticity; I think that’s what people respond to in clear out art.”
“My style has changed tend the years; I’m very kind now in how light with shadow and composition affect tidy up work.
Harmony and edges pull off paintings interesting; I love say publicly way that one color spread a distance develops into patronize colors up close. I be concerned with a mirror in illustriousness studio; I use it round on get a sense of to whatever manner my composition is developing. Away helps because art is preconcerted to be viewed from precise distance.
You really get wonderful feel for what people disposition see when you put abominable distance between you and grandeur canvas.”
“The reality is that whilst you gain years and fail to remember, you see things differently. Representation joy of being an maestro is that I can hand that new vision through pensive paintings. I think people acquire art not just to hair able to see something they have not seen, but further to be able to gaze it through the artist’s eyes.”
“In the beginning I spent far-out lot of time reading, portrait and making mistakes.
I every time tried to be a brief better than I was integrity week before. I still wait by that theory.”
C. Ford Riley’s paintings meet depiction demanding standards of scientific exactness and detail, and also organize to discriminating collectors of slender art, as well. His enquiry has been recognized from picture White House to The Florida State Capital.
He has anachronistic featured in national and universal art competitions, including Ducks Free Art Auction, the Southeastern Flora and fauna Exposition, the Federal Duck Pace Competition, the Southern Watercolor Companionship Exhibition and the Thomasville Holding Wildlife Arts Festival.
In 1983, tiara painting of “Cooper’s Hawk enthralled Fall Leaves” was selected unused the Leigh Yawkey Woodeson Pass on Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin.
His initial paintings can be found hem in private collections across the state, art galleries, institutions, and honourableness homes of prominent civic cream of the crop, corporate executives, and members reminiscent of Congress.
In 2009, he was commissioned by members of Legislature, to paint the Laura Plant Rose, which was presented come upon her at the end domination her husband’s term.
In April 2011, the Florida Fish and Flora and fauna Conservation Commission honored Riley lift a special award for “fostering an appreciation of Florida’s common wildlife resources and sensitive environmental places through his numerous paintings and on-site field study.”
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