Little Darby (For Anita O'Day)
acrylic on paper
13 x 16 inches; 33.02 x 40.64 centimeters
LSFA# 11734
An expansive plain of luscious orange intersects a panel of ruddy taupe followed by a parallel plain of dusky brown and ends with a sliver of black. This is one of the landscapes described by painter Richard Wilson in his meticulous explorations of form and color.
Each of his works reflects supremely painterly concerns: the articulation of light via the nuances of color, a pristine application of paint and strong vibrant compositions. Yet, as Wilson explains, the more essential intent is “the creation of an equilibrium between what I see as human nature and landscape nature” based on “influences derived from my surroundings in Northern California and memories of my grandparents’ flower farms in Santa Cruz... and the rhythms of jazz.”
The titles tell all: Little Darby (for Anita O’Day), Sulu (for Jerry Lee Lewis) or Coyanosa. With each study, acrylic on paper in preparation for the eventual acrylic emulsion on canvas, the artist seeks to transform experience, or the memory thereof, into a visual document with a life force all its own.
Richard Wilson is an Art Professor Emeritus at Shasta College. His work is included in numerous private collections and has been featured in solo exhibitions throughout the West Coast. This marks his initial showing with the gallery.