MEET LINDA RICHICHI
Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, Winner of “Best Landscape” by PleinAir Salon’s Annual Competition
At the age of two, I remember thinking... "I am an artist!" I loved COLOR then and still do.
Both my mom and grandfather were artists with a keen sense of color.
As a teenager I painted endlessly. My first portrait commission, age 16, looking back, was actually good and out of the hundreds of entrees into a tri- county competition my work received top awards.
Up until my early thirties, makeup artistry was my medium with Mary Kay Cosmetics. I trained consultants how to work with color. Then in 1989, I thought that I was going to die and had one regret: "I never got to be a professional painter." This was a game changer. I resigned from a successful career, turned in my pink Cadillac, moved from South Florida back to NY and enrolled in art school so that I could paint portraits of people.
Soon after graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art from SUNY, a pastel portrait was accepted into the Pastel Society of America's international exhibit at the National Arts Club. Soon after I began at the Ridgewood Art Institute to study under John Phillip Osborne and learn from a strong lineage of masters.
Around 2001 I stopped painting portraits because of a personal loss. Below you will see one of my last portraits, a self portrait.
One day in my studio in NY, I experienced synesthesia. The sounds of colors filled my ears and the colors literally popped off the canvas. It was like a fine tuning inside of me to understand the feeling of color more deeply. This interesting experience gave me a heightened sense of color when outdoors. I felt like a piano being tuned. Now I work with color to bring the feeling of the outdoors inside helping you to feel uplifted while viewing my work.
My work has exhibited extensively around North America including the prestigious National Arts Club several times in New York City with the Pastel Society of America where I recently earned a top award and Signature status.
Artist Statement
For me, painting is a pilgrimage – a journey into the soul and the mystery of creation. Through color, lines and brushstrokes I portray feelings that often cannot be put into words.
Whether I am painting on a sun-drenched beach in Florida or Maui, in the Hudson Valley, near Italian castles or French chateaus, my "plein air" paintings capture the energy and spirit of nature.
I work to capture both what is seen and what is not seen. With intuition leading the way, when on location I allow what I feel to override what I see. With years and years of classical training under my belt my hand can easily follow my heart creating a work of art that not only represents the scene but also allows the soul of the place to come forth.
Years of study with shamans has sharpened my understanding of energy, enhancing my ability to capture the invisible bringing life to each canvas.
Learn from Linda Richichi
