This past week I had the great oppertunity to interview local artist, Richard Buckley. His work is clean and minimal and somehow captures a piece of his soul. Richard is an amazing artist, despite being told at a young age that art was a waste of time. He shows us his inner being through broad strokes of black ink. Richard has turned what he loved and what inspires him into a sucessful career. He has shown his work all over the country and has inspired countless students to create works of art, to show who they truly are.
L: How did you get started? What led you to creating art as a profession?
RB: Much to my father’s displeasure, I started drawing very early. When he’d find me engaged in art, he’d order me to pursue more worthwhile activities, such as cleaning the cellar or shoveling snow. In the 3rd grade, fellow students paid me to draw subjects of their choice—usually cartoon characters or portraits of their pets. In high school, I became the school’s first-ever art major. By this time, neighbors were not only paying me to mow their lawns, but also for small, and not much fun, art-related projects, such as lettering “No Solicitors” and “Stay of the Grass” signs. For me, creating art is as natural as breathing.
L: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
RB: Aside from early finger paintings and pencil drawings, my first foray into three- dimensional work stands out for me as an early creative attempt. The occasion was a grade school Halloween Party, and I fashioned a robot costume out of silver-painted boxes. I could see very little through the two holes in the box that covered my head, and my arm and leg movements were very limited. At the party, two or three of my fellow students took advantage of those limitations by repeatedly knocking on the boxes and pushing me about from behind while I tearfully yelled, “Stop it! Stop it!” at my laughing tormentors. If nothing else, the experience taught me to consider the potential negative outcomes of my creative concepts…and that has served me well.
ESSENCE NO. 30
L: How did you begin creating your pieces?
RB: My early works were representational oils on canvas. Back then, I used several minutes of quiet time to clear my mind of extraneous thoughts before painting. Meditation remains a crucial part of my creative process.
L: Your work now is very clean and minimal; what made you decide that this style is the one that works best for you?
RB: My work has evolved from representational oils on canvas to a reductionist technique that allows me to set down only essence. My current art is the product of decades of releasing, of letting things go. I’ve transcended intellect, education, and the expectations of others. I’ve had to put those aside. I’ve even put down my brushes; my art is created with my hands. I feel that each of these works is a snapshot of my soul at the time it was created.
ESSENCE NO. 14
L: A lot of your most recent paintings have a splash of red in them. Does this have a special meaning or purpose?
RB: The red elements indeed have meaning; they represent the core energy fueling the essence.
ESSENCE NO. 3c
L: You have shown your pieces in some amazing places! Which was your favorite?
RB: I’ve had both solo and group exhibits in some very interesting venues, but the one that had the biggest emotional impact on me was the 1969 Top Ten Young Artists group show curated by Dorothea Weedon. Ms. Weedon had previously overseen the organization, judging, and statewide exhibition of the Massachusetts Council on the Arts Young Talent Show, and from the 100 artists juried into that exhibit, she selected her Top Ten. To say I was elated at my inclusion would be a huge understatement.
ESSENCE NO. 20
L: You have taught art in the past. What is the one lesson that you wish to pass on to your students?
RB: Creating art is a spiritual endeavor; allow it to flow from wellsprings within you. Create work that satisfies your soul and sets it free from restraints imposed by all others.
ESSENCE NO. 29
Richard has let us peek into his world and has shown us a whole new way of creating art. Art does not have to be a representation of anything, it can be a glimps into the soul of the artist himself. For opening our eyes to look at art in a different light, we thank him!
Richard's ESSENCE collection can be found in our fine arts section!
To learn more about Richard Buckley, go to http://dickbuckley.com/ .