Alan Rich

About the Artist

As a visual artist I paint still life, landscapes and abstracts. I have been creating art since I was a small child (many children are small), painting Popeye the Sailor with enamel paints on wood, building plastic model cars, building and racing radio control cars and trucks, drawing in colored pencil and graphite, and generally a DIY fix it kind of guy, always working with my hands. My inspiration comes from the happiness and joy of bright colors. I chose the acrylic medium for its quick drying properties and wide array of available gels and mediums for creating different and interesting textures and fluid movements. Residing in Maryland with my wife Bonnie and two daughters Rebecca and Leah, I have studios in both Maryland and Rehoboth Beach, DE.  My art is an outlet from the everyday. It is relaxing and invigorating all at the same time. In a world of being connected virtually 24/7, art gets me to a quieter, more serene place, whether it’s at the beach or here at home watching football and painting…at the same time.

Artist's Statement

As a printer of custom labels for the past 30 years, ink and color is an all day, everyday theme. My inspiration comes from the happiness and joy of bright colors. The use of industrial pigment to create my own colors within an acrylic vehicle gives me the freedom to experiment, and with that, I have created a unique technique; taking industrial pigments from water based flexo ink, mixing it to a fluid medium, and create flows of color on canvas, Yupo synthetic paper, and wood panels that cure to a high gloss finish. I call them, “Fluid Acrylic Happiness”, or "the Calm within the Movement". The process requires controlling the fluid movement to slowly move and self level on it’s own or by means of manipulating it with various tools or tilting the support in many directions to get a more aggressive movement of color. The colorful and organic paintings create movement, evokes thought, and lets your mind wander, seeing imagery within the flow of colors that will bring happiness to your mind and soul. No matter how the paintings are viewed, there will always be something different to see.