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James Richards

James Richards is a self-taught Impressionist painter who specializes in oils. Born and raised in rural Georgia, he spent the days of his youth exploring the farms, fields and forests of his hometown.  Driven by a passionate connection with nature and a deep sense of obligation to relay his vision in the most truthful manner possible, he began painting at a very young age; by the time he was a young adult he had already won numerous awards for his pieces.

Richards has spent years studying the nuances of paint and developing a keen sense of understanding and control over the medium.  He strives to paint the essence of his subjects by breaking their appearance down to pleasing shapes revealed by the light, and by painting those essential shapes without overworking unnecessary details.

“Like other plein air painters, I do have my favorite painting spots and I will often return to the locations that inspired me in the past,” Richards says. “But sometimes I have fun and create more exciting work when I see a subject in an instant and immediately get motivated to paint it. The appeal has everything to do with a momentary pattern of light and shadow. I just throw down my supplies and attack the scene without much forethought. I trust that something will come out of the effort. In those situations, I rely on intuition rather than planning, and I allow things to happen in unpredictable ways without concern for methodology. That’s usually when magic.” 

Now regarded as one of the top oil painters and instructors in the country, Richards considers teaching and sharing his knowledge to be his primary purpose and true calling as an artist.  He is a highly sought-after teacher around the world, conducting workshops across the US and Europe.  His mentoring program has a year-long wait list, and spots in his monthly workshops sell out within hours of being announced.

Richards has had some brushes with greatness in recent years. He became a friend of former President Jimmy Carter, a personal connection developing during a unique fundraising event in the President’s hometown of Plains, Georgia. Richards taught an art class for Carter as well as 50 other people who paid $500 each to participate.

“I’ve offered demonstrations at various fundraising events, and during one of them President Carter and Mrs. Carter sat in the front row and watched intently,” Richards says. “The president taught art to sailors when he was in the Navy and says he always has a palette with wet paint ready to go. I am now set to paint a portrait of the president every year and allow the portrait to be auctioned for the benefit of the Carter Center in Atlanta.”

James has won numerous national awards including recently being chosen as a Master Member of the American Impressionist Society. Masters are selected carefully and are nationally known and considered to be leaders in the art community. They epitomize the highest level of impressionism and passionately give back to society by sharing their knowledge. 

His work can be found in numerous private and corporate collections including Disney, King and Spaulding, The Ritz Carlton, The Georgia State Capital, John Sherholz, The Atlanta Braves, Prince of Doha Qatar, The University of Georgia, Reynolds Plantation, Budweiser, and Lieberman’s.