Happy Easter!
Instead of an Easter Egg hunt (I like the Cadbury Eggs or the malted milk kind…) I decided to go on an Art hunt. Although I found many artists I wanted to write about, I thought this person, C.D. RICHARDSON, fit the “hunt” idea to a T. Not the hunt, per se, but the hunt within. You see, all these pieces look like a certain image, and they are that image, but if you look closely, you will see that there are many layers to these designs. Therein lies the hunt…
OMG. I love original art,
as you have seen in earlier posts. I cannot help it. I want to build a double decker barn just so I have enough wall space to hang art. Sadly, this wouldn’t work unless I had it hermetically sealed because all barns have shipments of dust brought in daily. But it is a fun idea to dream about such luxuries.
Anyway, I ran across a blurb about artist C.D. Richardson. The photo grabbed me big time. Here it is above. 
As I looked closely, I could see that this Buffalo was an assemblage of mixed media. It is like those pasta art displays as the County Fair. If you stand back, you can see the Eiffel Tower, or whatever, but up close, it is just a bunch of noodles. Well, this is of course, a lot higher brow and I love it
C.D. Richardson has been a fine and graphic art professional for years. He had been creating very visual and unusual graphics for the cartoon and illustration world linked here cryptozoological illustrations. His technique, no matter what the subject, is quite unique and fascinating. He scans his own artwork, photographs, found objects, paintings and whatever other medium he thinks appropriate, digitally manipulates these and photographs this assemblage. Then, he does it all over again and again and again until he finds the perfect layers of scanned and manipulated works to take shape in the grander scheme of the whole. Oh, and in the process, he often attaches 3-D found 
objects which are also scanned and applied. It is kinda like putting in a hodgepodge of functional plumbing parts for your kitchen sink but ending up with the most awesome Kohler masterpiece ever! I am amazed. You have to look closely to see the incredible detail. So, look closely. But, I gotta tell you, I just love it and would hang them in my living room with pride. I so admire that when you stand back, you see a beautiful image of a buffalo. But, when you look closer, you see a total world underneath. That theme is so universal and integral to what make the world go ’round.
As an aside, C.D. started his Remnants of the America Frontier series on a dare from his Dad. For Christmas, C.D.’s father who is a longtime Western Art enthusiasts in Texas, requested a Western themed piece from his son. C.D. says that he started with one but ended up with 12 Western pieces!
If you go to the website, C.D. has a blog which insightful to read how the artist thinks as he develops his works… He also has very reasonable prints of each of these 12 pieces for sale.
Now some of you probably wonder what happens to the Originals? I know I did… Well, there really is no original because this is layered layers, if you know what I mean. The final assembly really happens through the camera and then inside the computer. So, there isn’t a final, material piece. When I asked CD what he does with his original inspiration objects and pieces he said, “Most of if is just stored or kept on file, I don’t throw any of it away. Sometimes, I sample some of the brush strokes/accents/stains from one painting and use as a texture layer for a new piece of art. The series seems to have a more cohesive feel when there are subtle elements shared among each other. ” Yes, we like it!
So, for all of you mixed media art lovers, gobble this up. 
And, for you parents out there who think your kid doodling odd animals and abstract side show imaginarium beasts is going to end up with no job, think again. All you gotta do is request a special present and a whole new world could open up!
Bravo C.D. Richardson! And to be honest, I like all of your work, even the macabre. Very cool.
