When I was a kid, my mother and aunt used to have a line: "You make me feel like a million bucks." I've been using it for decades — and I'll come back to it in a moment. In both my working life and my creative life, there is a theme to what people share with me that I can distill to this: these are some very strange times. And I agree. There is a lot of suffering right now, for a myriad of reasons. Those "strange times" conversations almost always arrive at the same place — that we need more art, music, performance. Anything that gives us the chance to gently release whatever we find ourselves clinging to these days. I've been thinking about this a great deal as we lead up to the Mira Monte Second Saturday on April 11th. It is always a tremendous honor to share my work with this community. My intention has always been to help people unwind, let go, have a laugh — or even a good, solid think. But that intention feels more intensified now. Over the last two years especially, collectors have shared what it's like to live with my art in their homes and offices. What I keep hearing is that the work gives them a needed break. A release. A relief. A laugh. I understand, philosophically, how art functions as catharsis — it gives form to feelings that are too tangled, buried, frightening, or shapeless to face straight on. A collector recently told me she feels safe with my abstract expressionist portraits. Another wrote simply, "You do emotion unlike anyone else, Rich." In ordinary life, there is grief, fear, rage, shame, and longing — all of it can feel overwhelming precisely because it is our life, our pain, our risk. But I believe, in my heart of hearts, that art not only provides a safe distance — it also stands in solidarity with that life, that pain, those risks. It becomes a shared safe space. I know this from my own experience: a painting, a song, a film, a poem has let me enter complicated feelings without being crushed by them. I am deeply grateful that my work can do that for someone else — close enough to feel, far enough to survive the feeling. And that we can do it together. What's wonderful, as I prepare for April 11th, is that 99% of my work is done spontaneously. For me, it has always been about process over precious — process over product — and I think the fearless, raw energy I bring to the canvas is what people are resonating with more and more in these strange times. All of that, taken together, feels like a million bucks. I can't wait to see you all.

Making marks to leave a mark. Does the art grow from me or do I from it? Part of me is there. Part of me is here. Is it possible to be in both places at once? And still, I don’t know. This Saturday my studio will be open and questions will step into the room. Waiting for other sets of eyes to see what I have yet to notice.

In these turbulent times in our country and world, I find myself so aware of the comfort and presence I find in my creative process and in the natural world. Observing details and cycles in nature, and engaging in the meticulous process of creating my work with these small natural forms are a great respite. I'm looking forward to sharing the sculptures and jewelry I've been making, this Saturday March 14 -- OSA's first Second Saturday Tour of the year. I'll be in great company with 9 other artists in Meiners Oaks and the Arbolada neighborhoods. Come say hello!

A core element of my work is peace and connection, including wall and wearable art. My life and artistic path have taken me through many transitions - some tumultuous - yet this newest chapter is producing some of the greatest work of my career. Longtime peace activists, my wife Lisa and I relocated to Poland in 2022 to work with the One Humanity Institute supporting refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Many of my fellow sculptors were stunned when I sold most of my tools before leaving Ojai. For Lisa and I, it was a conscious step into the unknown - an opening to something new. Just before their departure, I collaborated with printmaker Linda Taylor to create a series of letterpress embossed prints. Using laser-cut templates, his geometric images carry an intriguing dimensional quality - an early bridge from his sculptural roots into wall-based work. While in Poland, I discovered how deeply he missed making art. I continued developing my signature HOLOS form, working with a Czech studio to produce cast-glass pieces from models generated with my 3D printer. When the slow pace of glass casting created delays, I began exploring new ways of “seeing” HOLOS. That exploration led to something unexpected. Using inspection-style filters (x-ray and wireframe views) I began generating stark white-on-black images that are both mesmerizing and beautiful. They became the foundation for a new 2D series centered on HOLOS: clean, luminous, and quietly powerful. Another personal transition has been my painful separation from my grandchildren. Turning again to art as a lifeline, I have been transforming 2D photographs into 3D-printed models of each child. “Not all my artworks are about beauty and peace,” he says. “But my intent is to find peace amidst these emotional challenges.” These new works will be on view at my studio this Saturday, March 14, alongside original stone, metal, and glass sculptures. I just returned my Tri-Portal sculpture to our garden of Peace, so please come and enjoy. I will have many 3D printed gifts for all. I will also be demonstrating my 3D printing process.

I feel so fortunate that I was able to photograph the total lunar eclipse just a few miles from home. Let me tell you, I was nervous it would be foggy. The previous morning, the skies were completely covered with fog and lasted til mid morning. But in the early, early hours (O'dark thirty) of Tuesday, March 3, the skies were completely clear. I thanked my lucky stars. I packed up the car and drove a few miles to the outskirts of Ojai, set up my tripods and cameras and began shooting the eclipse. I used my 600m telephoto lens, which resulted in a very large moon image with exceptional color and clarity. Add to the ambience were the voices of a few coyotes howling in the dark night. the sounds and sights were like a setting for a mystery movie or novel. The next total lunar eclipse for our area will be in December 2028.

The rhythm of the waves, sun warming the skin, a twirl , a taste of salt in the air. Perhaps a nod to Edgar Degas and his ballet dancers - changing the art world some 160 years ago - but impressionism still beloved by many. Or a nod to any young girl today, feeling the freedom brought by wind, a floaty dress and the song playing in her head. "Sea Dance" is oil on canvas, 24"h x 20"w. Drop by my studio this Saturday, March 14 from 10am to 5 pm for OSA's Second Saturday Open Studios. There are just 10 of us open on Saturday in the Arbolada and Meiners Oaks areas of Ojai.

I have been looking at Bespoke Vintage Wallpapers and Murals. I love the deep tones and subtle muted tones. I tried to capture this in my latests piece. The blues and lavenders in the flowers with deep emerald tones of the leaves. Then, just a pop of yellow/orange to make the centers of the flowers stand out. I hope you like it.

We had rain this year and the flowers are all around. I got inspired to paint my cowboy husband as he trailed through the mustard that was taller than his horse.

Just back from our Big Sur road trip, and this time it was the calla lilies that captured me. They were everywhere, rising out of the hillsides with those sensual, sculptural curves. Back in the studio, what began as photographs became sketches, layered painted papers, and digital collage. Travel always leaves a trace.

I'm enjoying letting the inside peak out, creating portraits which speak volumes in a quiet, discreet way. Letting scraps of words, imagery, maps and musical notes breathe out from within one's portrayal. An assemblage of life's journeys, foibles and dreams, rising to the surface. Please stop in and visit my studio this Saturday, March 14, 10a-5p when I'm part of the mini studio tour featuring artists in Arbolada and Meiners Oaks.

On view at Integrity Wealth in Ojai through April 24, this exhibition brings together landscape drawings rooted in Ojai and selected works from my Dreamscape series. Together, they reflect two ways I move through place — direct observation and slow excavation — both shaped by the land that surrounds us. The drawings are grounded in observation. Many are based in and around Ojai — places I return to repeatedly because they continue to shift, subtly, with light, season, and memory. The Dreamscape paintings move in a different direction. They are less about a specific site and more about the felt experience of terrain — erosion, atmosphere, distance, and time. Supporting the Land That Shapes the Work Integrity Wealth does not take a commission on artwork sales. Because of that generosity, a portion of each sale from this exhibition — 20% — will be contributed to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. I’ve chosen to extend that same commitment to my studio practice as a whole: 20% of all original artwork sold directly through my website also supports the Conservancy. As a plein air and landscape artist — and simply as someone who loves being outdoors — I’m deeply aware that the places I paint are not guaranteed. They exist because people protect them. One place especially close to me is La Cañada Larga Road. There was a time when development felt imminent there. I remember hearing that and feeling physically unsettled — the thought that this open stretch of land, this quiet geometry of road cutting through hills, might disappear. That I might not be able to stand there again and look out across that space. The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy raised the funds to purchase and preserve it. Now, as with so many protected landscapes, the need is ongoing — stewardship, maintenance, care. Preservation isn’t a single act. It’s a long-term promise. If my work is rooted in landscape, it feels only right that the work also gives back to it. Additional Exhibitions I’ll also have work included in the Member Show at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, on view March 7 – March 20, with an opening reception at 4:00 pm on Saturday, March 7 at the Blackboard Gallery in Camarillo. And I’m part of a curated group of present and past Artists in Residence at SCIART, now featured on the Artsy platform. The collection highlights regional artists exploring a range of mediums and approaches, expanding visibility beyond our immediate area. Closing Thoughts When I think about this season of work — drawings made from walking the edges of Ojai, paintings built slowly in the studio, conversations happening in galleries and offices — it all comes back to one thing: attention. Attention to place. Attention to memory. Attention to what could be lost — and what can still be protected. La Cañada Larga Road is more than a subject to me. It’s a reminder that landscapes are not permanent unless we choose to care for them. The fact that it remains open — that I can return again and again to draw it — is not accidental. It’s because people acted. The work currently hangs in a space devoted to planning for the future. In a small way, this is my version of that — reinvesting in the land that shapes the work. If you’ve ever felt relief stepping into open land… If you’ve ever had a place you hoped would still be there tomorrow… Then you understand why this matters to me. I hope you’ll stop by before April 24.

After a super great studio tour last fall in my new studio, I was invited to collaborate on a new gallery in town with Lulu Sherman, Stephanie Hubbard, and Jojo Anderson. We set up Still Gallery, had a beautiful show for four months and decided to move the gallery online. stillgalleryojai.com February and March I will be at Taft gardens and nature preserve for my residency. The studio I am working out of is a dream come true. I am surrounded by a canopy of oaks and endless plants and succulents. I hear birds, frogs, crickets, squirrels and the creeks. It’s seriously a magical place. I highly recommend visiting. (And then you can visit me) And the show at Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is still up for a bit longer, so go check that out. And some other things going on which I’ll share soon!

I went to Karen K Lewis's studio last year ( huge fan) and saw a painting she did of pumkins and gourds. I stared at it and realized that I have all of this mottled and rippled glass at home. I asked her permission to do a mosiac of the piece, and she kindly agreed. Well it has taken almost a year and finally I have finished it. It is 2x3 feet and I love it. It is chunky, ripply, mottled, and vibrant! Thanks Karen!

My last blog shared our family alienation crisis that began last June. These last 8 months have begun an exploration of health challenges and finding new ways to help me express what I'm personally going through. Not all my artworks are about beauty and peace. Though my intent is to find peace amidst my health and emotional challenges. On that blog it was using a photo of my grand daughter and creating a reduction wood carving and letterpress printing class with Linda Taylor. I then shared turning photos of my grandchildren into 3D models that I printed on my 3D printer. Not all prints are successful. In the gallery of images you can see one of the failed prints. I saved it as a model of when life shows up in ways that can't be controlled. In my last class with Linda, the prints has a registration misalignment that one of my friends said was a perfect example of what your family is going through. The 3D print failure I have in the gallery similarly expresses that. I needed help with my health and my helplessness, so I asked my health insurance for support and I began working with a therapist. I haven't felt the need for therapist help for 3+decades, and I really took a turn as 2026 began, as my life boat was filling with water. I wondered with worry if my life would end and the family alienation would continue. As a peace builder, I was needing support and with the helping hand of this therapist, I'm doing much better as I use art, and my life experience to help heal myself, and my family. I have lived by this creed, Art Heals Lives. I drew the image of "Tsunami of Grief and Loss" and that was really helpful. I also felt that this image might resonate with others going through similar emotions, with what is going on here in the US and other parts of the world. My therapist asked me how I see myself in a couple of years. I said that I will be of great support for those that are going through what I am navigating now, and I can be of help and support for them. I was then invited to take a still life painting class with master painter Carlos Grasso. "Moment of Solace" was the result of that class time. With the intense concentration in representing what was the still life model, it helped keep me in the present moment and release my emotions from the past and future. Though this was my first painting experience, I could see the value of this being a mindful practice. Not about making art for sale, but making art for healing. After another therapy session examining and inquiry of my Tsunami drawing, the questions arose about "What's Next". The images that came up were about my lifeboat sinking, and I might not live to see my grandchildren again. I created the image of my "Heartache". This was a photo montage created in Photoshop. This helped me release much of my emotional sorrow, and once it was visually expressed, it no longer weighed heavily on my heart. Next I imagined a still life model with my granddaughter for Carlos' next class. I've included the model, but I didn't take a process photo. Will see how well I can express this model in future classes, or maybe I go back to painting vegetable and fruits. I've left town for a few days to retreat and break free from my dailies. I'm hopeful that I can explore artistically, what's in my heart and what's next for me. I will have a display of these images and models for the Second Saturday mini tour March 14th from 10-5pm, just a month away. Thanks for reading my blog, and I hope to see you next month at my Mini Tour. If you don't get to see a map, usually posted on the OSA Website a few days before the mini tour.

I've painted people going about their daily lives all over the world. I've rarely painted at home in Ojai before. Our beautiful town attracts people from all over so I decided to pass the day watching people enjoying Ojai's Libbey park and arcade. So nearby and such a treasure.

It's almost Valentine's Day, when love is in the air and red heart balloons are filled and ready to float aloft. This year, while my love life is still full and bright and shiny, the state of our country doesn't seem so. This painting of a red heart balloon, stuck mid-air, semi-deflated, speaks quietly to the times. 8" x 11" oil on paper, framed.