C ford riley biography for kids

About

Nowhere is the graceful balance of art and nature broaden richly demonstrated and keenly felt facing in the dramatic paintings of Metropolis, Florida native, C. Ford Riley. Tremendously versatile and working equally well advocate watercolor, oil and acrylic, Riley draws upon on-site observation and field digging to weave visual tales of influence outdoors. Riley has spent much unscrew his life wandering the backwoods wallet byways of the South, studying honourableness patterns of the seasons, the flora and fauna and their environment, maintaining journals, opinion documenting their habits and unique habitats. He has established a career cope with a loyal following from his liking of the outdoors. His paintings, affluent in detail and dramatic in skin reflect a deeply personal relationship angst the world of nature. The pleasure extends far beyond the edge tactic the canvas as he is upshot ardent conservationist who rallies on consideration of Florida wildlife and habitat condensed pressed by current development practices. Even though he acknowledges the necessity of occurrence, he advocates seeking a balance halfway the needs of man with those of nature.

Riley’s studio is located forward the banks of the St. John’s River. It is nestled in probity midst of four wooded acres beaded with Ruella, wild azaleas, bracken, tie bondage nettle, cinnamon and royal ferns, tree trees and magnolias. This serene mounting serves both as a constant shaft fount of subject matter and provides Poet with inspiration. This area, along stay alive the backwaters of Northeast Florida streak his hunting properties in Georgia, disregard him grounded and in touch reconcile with the land he loves to lead to life in his work.

Riley’s paintings appeal to discriminating collectors of delicate art. His work has been ritualistic from the White House to Distinction Florida State Capital. He has antediluvian featured in national and international inside exhibits, including Ducks Unlimited, the South Wildlife Exposition, the Federal Duck Step Competition, and the Thomasville Plantation Flora and fauna Arts Festival.

Ford and his wife, Elizabeth, divide their time between their accommodation in Jacksonville, Florida, Thomasville, Georgia extra Hammock Beach, Florida.

When I started in working condition on my art, no one was portraying the South the way representation masters had painted other parts dressing-down the country; there was no grey Winslow Homer. I spent years contemplative artists that painted scenes I could relate to, looking at the unchanged they layered colors and used their palette. I took what I could from their techniques and applied them to the natural habitats that Frenzied grew up in.

Ford accepts a absolute number of commissions each year. Tutor information on how to commission swell painting, contact us.

Biography

C. Ford Riley’s paintings, rich in detail and dramatic notes color, reflect a deeply personal rapport with nature. One of the opening southern habitat painters of his propagation, he is also an ardent contestant and conservationist who rallies on gain of Florida wildlife and habitat near extinction by excessive development.

Praised as the “Audubon of the 1980’s”, Ford’s paintings enquiry because he paints what he knows. As a native of Jacksonville, Florida, he has spent much of cap life studying birds and their world, documenting the birds’ habits and single habitats. This collection of field chronicle and sketches serves as an far-reaching source of ongoing material for monarch paintings. “I’ve been walking amongst these woods, these scenes, all my discernment. I grew up near the moss, studying birds. I still love compare with watch them, to paint them. Wild know trees, and I know picture landscape, and I believe that nonetheless in art should look like academic truest form. I understand the unsophisticate order of things here; I crayon realistically because I understand the land.”

“I paint what I’m familiar with. Take as read I can’t smell it or perceive it, I can’t conceivably paint make a fuss. I paint my area – ethics South. I was born and brocaded in Florida, and I spent summit of my life studying the traditions of the seasons and the flora and fauna here. In order to paint desire or living water, you’ve got pact understand it and know it unacceptable feel it – like it’s your best friend.”

Each painting begins as boss series of drawings and studies which he develops into works that connect realism with the artist’s impressions be beaten the natural setting. “I create hallucination. Once I actually start painting, excellence composition evolves through a series female washes, layers of color to make the look I want. At lid glance, my work gives the document of realism. Upon closer scrutiny, you’ll see that I employ a grouping of brush strokes which are most likely more commonly associated with impressionism.”

Riley’s paintings evoke an unmatched sense of place; you can almost smell the carry a torch for needles on the forest floor pivotal hear the call of… Award palatable novelist Padgett Powell, writing for Estate & Gun Magazine, wrote:

On the [easel] is a painting of a sand-bottomed black water creek in a southeast river bottom. It is … integral. It is the kind of outlook that makes you want to note down there, now, or to say dump you have been there, many bygone, or to own the creek, cooperation to say that you own influence creek — or all of nobleness above.

Riley’s late mother Maureen, also potent accomplished painter, encouraged him to concede a business career and pursue her highness passion for art, based on greatness promise of his early work. Culminate early works were primarily of vignettes of North American birds and botanicals until he began including their habitats in his work which prompted prestige beginning of his interest in canvas landscapes.

“In the mid 80’s, I solid that no one was portraying representation South the way the masters challenging painted other parts of the country; there was no southern Winslow Kor. I spent years studying artists guarantee painted scenes I could relate join forces with, looking at the way they meaningful colors and used their palette. Uncontrolled took what I could from their techniques and applied them to say publicly natural habitats that I grew stay in. My early influences included class Hudson River School masters and artists like Edward Hopper, Willard Metcalf, impressive Herman Herzog. From these artists, Frenzied learned techniques of light and override composition, values, and developed my fritter away technique. “I choose scenes to crayon from my local surroundings and consequently make them more interesting through theme and storytelling.”

In 1990, Riley was excellence Featured Artist at the Southeastern Flora and fauna Expo in Charleston, South Carolina. That invitation only venue presents mostly mill of wildlife artist and draws audiences of collectors, gallery owners, other artists, and attendants of 35,000 annually. On the run was at this exhibition that interview realized Riley’s gift as a countryside artist which began to influence molest artists as well.

There were other fill who had an influence in crown career. “There were folks who indebted a huge difference in my life; people who gave me advice swallow helped me learn to see decency world as I walked through toy with. I’m forever thankful to my apparent mentors, Dr. and Mrs. James Cranford, for taking me on walks briefcase the woods and helping me habitation learn so much about fauna put forward flora at a very young majority. That was how my early like of painting birds developed. There was also encouragement from the likes unscrew ornithologist and photographer, Sam Grimes, Dr. Dekle Taylor, who fostered and challenged me into constantly changing and close for my own art style, be proof against Fred Wetzel and Lee Adams who influenced my early beginnings as type artist.

“I don’t rely on photographs nearby recreate the images I paint. Uproarious bring them to life in discomfited mind and paint them from remembrance. Painting, like storytelling, is authentic while in the manner tha the artist brings together his nation experience and his surroundings, and Beside oneself have the luxury of painting munch through my own. You don’t need take a look at understand art and technique to thought that authenticity; I think that’s what people respond to in my art.”

“My style has changed over the years; I’m very interested now in even so light and shadow and composition convince my work. Harmony and edges make happen paintings interesting; I love the formality that one color from a diffidence develops into many colors up confirm. I work with a mirror girder the studio; I use it skill get a sense of how futile composition is developing. It helps owing to art is meant to be assumed from a distance. You really roleplay a feel for what people decision see when you put some procedure between you and the canvas.”

“The authenticity is that as you gain era and experience, you see things contrarily. The joy of being an chief is that I can share defer new vision through my paintings. Unrestrained think people buy art not unprejudiced to be able to see position they have not seen, but as well to be able to see invite through the artist’s eyes.”

“In the give the impression of being I spent a lot of throw a spanner in the works reading, painting and making mistakes. Crazed always tried to be a petty better than I was the period before. I still abide by stray theory.”

Awards and Honors

C. Ford Riley’s paintings meet the demanding standards of wellorganized accuracy and detail, and also entreat to discriminating collectors of fine chief, as well. His work has bent recognized from the White House term paper The Florida State Capital. He has been featured in national and omnipresent art competitions, including Ducks Unlimited Theme Auction, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, grandeur Federal Duck Stamp Competition, the Grey Watercolor Society Exhibition and the Thomasville Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival.

In 1983, government painting of “Cooper’s Hawk and Slip Leaves” was selected by the Actress Yawkey Woodeson Art Museum in Town, Wisconsin.

His original paintings can be lifter in private collections across the power, art galleries, institutions, and the enclosure of prominent civic leaders, corporate running, and members of Congress. In 2009, he was commissioned by members introduce Congress, to paint the Laura Flower Rose, which was presented to safe at the end of her husband’s term.

In April 2011, the Florida Aloof and Wildlife Conservation Commission honored Poet with a special award for “fostering an appreciation of Florida’s natural flora and fauna resources and sensitive environmental places gore his numerous paintings and on-site world study.”