The Local Rag had a chat to local artist Rick Youmans ahead of his exhibition this month.
What is your background with painting Rick? How did you come to it?
I had been painting on and off since a young age, then at College I studied the renaissance ways of painting, making paint, egg tempera, sculpture, and many other techniques.
Tell us about your creative process. What does a typical day look like for you ?
The process varies from day to day, some parts are disciplined and some parts are free to evolve as naturally as possible. Memories and emotions play a large role in the process, so it can be hard to have a defined structure, especially with many projects happening at one time.
You are based at the Wharf. What else do you offer at the studio?
We offer the SKY INK SEA Collection of ink works and art books, these evoke the emotions of the sea and the sky. I created the book as an interactive art piece where buyers are encouraged to write their own thoughts about the painted images.
There are also my artworks in different techniques such as oil, watercolour and Chinese ink. We also have the internationally acclaimed Youmans Capsules which are designer presentation cases that I have created and manufactured in New Zealand.
Tell us about the upcoming Wind and Sail exhibition? What inspired this series?
From a young age I have been involved with sailing, I had a few past paintings that evoked the emotion of wind in sails that I wanted to give a fresh look and feel to. I also wanted to include a few new works, especially of the latest America’s cup.
How does this work differ from previous works Rick?
These works are sailing related as opposed to sea or landscapes. They still represent my ambition to create evocative feelings of the wind like I do with the skies and water in my seascapes.
What can we expect to see?
The Wind and Sails Exhibition will showcase sailing related art in all of its possible forms. One of the most stunning pieces is the “Sydney to Hobart 60 years history” which is made of 6 panels measuring 4.5 meters in total. It is the first time that this painting will be hanging at the studio. In general it shows wind and sails in both emotive and more realistic ways, as well as including a new powerful painting from the last America’s cup.
