Richard Graves
Richard Graves, watercolorist, Abingdon, Virginia, created a polyptych for the “From These Hills” exhibit at William King Museum of Art, Abingdon, Virginia. Entitled “Faces of Strangers,” it is 36 watercolor portraits each with a story to tell.
“Each is named after a series of original, one-shot zines I had been making. This piece is the next step in growing that series.I liked this series as one of the ways I was trying to take the charm and variety of my sketchbook and translate that into a more formal work, much like flipping through pages of a sketchbook.
Graves came to the area to study at Emory & Henry, Emory, Virginia. He majored in mass communications and psychology and minored in art history.
“I continued to study onmyownthrough daily sketchbook practice, guidance from other local artists through workshops and collaboration and my Washington County Library card. I feel like it is common for Appalachian artists to have non-traditional career paths, and that has certainly been my experience with a mix of formal and informal methods to build my practice and career.
“I worked as a broadcast journalist in my role at WEHC 90.7 FM for about a decade. During that time, I stayed busy, so watercolor was a medium that was very conducive to working with in the field and on the go. The background in journalism also tied into my desire to capture moments, and it is also a medium that is conducive for that. I’ve always been drawn to watercolorfor the simple power of pigment and water. I also use ‘wet media’ todescribe my work, since when I do use other mediums, I tend to use them like watercolor with glazing and more fluid techniques. Transparencyis an aspect of the medium I love as well, where previous layers sometimes peak through and give a glimpse into the process and journey of a piece,” he says.
Graves kept his art private for a long time. Once he started connecting to the local arts community, he discovered that he needed to restructure his life to accommodate projects he wanted to pursue. He also wanted to be a part of the growing curiosity and excitement around Appalachian art.
“I’mincredibly inspired by the insane and eclectic talent of the other artists and creators in this region. What I love about contemporary Appalachian creators is how many draw inspiration from unexpected places, in addition to more recognized cultural traditions, and that’s something I try to emulate. Living in Abingdon, a lot of my influence comes from things like theater, comic books, rural grassroots organizing, music communities and many more gems that make this such a colorful place to live. Andit’s impossible not to be inspired by the Creeper Trail andthenatural beauty of the region,” he says.
His work can be followed on Facebook, www.richardgravesart.com or @serpounce on Instagram.
