Franz

www.richardfranzpastelart.com. As I travel, hike thru Michigan fields and forests or even just running errands, I look for the beauty in the everyday, ordinary scenes that we all pass by every day. With a camera I keep in the car, I capture scenes that I find compelling. Often the quality of light or the subtle colors and patterns of the foliage or old buildings settling into the ground are intriguing to me. In my studio using the photo as a reference, as a beginning point, I explore the complexity of the textures, massing, geometry and spirit of seemingly simple natural scenes. Following degrees in architectural design from Lawrence Technological University and Harvard University Graduate School of Design, my artistic outlet was focused on architectural design and, for the early part of my career, technical drafting and presentation drawings. Listening to a lifelong ambition to paint, I began working with pastels in July 2011 in a pastel workshop with artist Fran Seikaly. Subsequent workshops with Fran, Mary Jane Erhard, Vianna Szabo, Karen Margulis, Dawn Emerson and Bethany Fields enabled me to continue to learn and grow as a pastel landscape artist. I believe that learning to paint is learning to SEE. When presenting my work, I label each painting with the location which seems to delight the viewer, especially if they too drive by the location and know it well. People who know the locations of certain paintings say that they will challenge themselves to see the beauty that they have never noticed. For me, it's a rewarding way to reach out with my art