Artist of Note | E.M. Rinchik

The science of color

E.M. Rinchik, Sandia Evening, oil, 12 x 24.

E.M. Rinchik, Sandia Evening, oil, 12 x 24.

This story was featured in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

Throughout his life, E.M. Rinchik always wanted to be a painter, but he never felt he had the talent to do it. A scientist by trade, Rinchik relied on his left-brain work in genetics and worked as an educator while enjoying art along the way. After many years of watching from the sidelines, he eventually began taking classes with his friend and mentor, landscape painter Kevin Cook.

Rinchik is deeply influenced by the Hudson River School painters and their romantic renditions of the land. “The details in those landscapes really speak to me, and I never tire of looking at them,” he says. After retirement, Rinchik packed up and moved to Placitas, NM, where he fell in love with the southwestern landscape.

When he first began, the artist included minute details in his scenes, utilizing techniques from the Hudson River School painters. But he was also drawn to impressionism and has gradually loosened his work and applied his scientific mind to color theory. “I enjoy fooling around with the subtleties of color,” Rinchik says. “But I also like to incorporate impressionist techniques to achieve colors you can’t get with the Hudson River School palette.” Whether it is the rolling hillsides of Scotland or his own backyard, he strives to convey his sense of wonder to the viewer. “I like trying to replicate and interpret these beautiful places I’ve seen,” he says. “I want people to enjoy looking at it and to want to visit that particular place because of what they’ve seen in my work.” —Mackenzie McCreary

Rinchik’s work can be seen at www.emrinchikfineart.com.

This story was featured in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

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