By Margaret L. Brown, Kristin Bucher, Leslie Busler, and Donna Tennant Known nationally as a distinguished painter, Richard Schmid is also widely recognized as a great teacher. Ten artists who have studied with him over the years reflect on his influence.
· Paul Mullally ·
“Richard Schmid has had a profound influence on me, both as a teacher and as a friend,” says Seattle, WA, artist Paul Mullally. “He has selflessly shared his technical knowledge about painting as well as his philosophical contemplations about art.” Mullally studied with Schmid at the Palette & Chisel Club in Chicago, IL, and accompanied him on trips to Alaska and
Italy. “I learned the most by painting side-by-side with him,” he says. Mullally’ spaintings can be found at Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ, and Jackson, WY; Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail, CO; and Howard/Mandville Galleries, Kirkland, WA. —DT
· Scott Burdick ·
Scott Burdick studied at the American Academy of Art, Chicago, in the mid-1980s and began painting with Richard Schmid in informal sessions at the Palette & Chisel Club. “Since I had just finished art school, my work at the time tended to look very academic,” says Burdick. “Watching Richard work, I began to understand how to set up a still life, a model, or a room in a more artistic way so that it makes the statement I want it to make.” Burdick lives in North Carolina and is represented by Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ; Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ; Total Arts Gallery, Taos, NM; Hughes Gallery, Dallas, TX; and Talisman Gallery, Bartlesville, OK. —KB
· David Hettinger ·
Just out of the American Academy of Art in
Chicago in 1968, David Hettinger moved to New York to study with Richard Schmid. He learned everything from priming a canvas to painting from life, but what he remembers most is Schmid’s graciousness. “Once he invited me to a black-tie party, and all I had to wear was this plaid shirt. So he changed into a plaid shirt too.” Such courtesy left an indelible mark on Hettinger. “His generosity encouraged me to share what I’ve learned just as he did with me.” Hettinger lives in Illinois and is represented by Ann Hughes Fine Arts, Dallas, TX; Proud Fox Gallery, St. Charles, IL; Talisman Gallery, Bartlesville, OK; Walnut Street Gallery, Springfield, MO; and Wichita Gallery of Fine Art, Wichita, KS. —LB
· Mark Daily ·
“I’ve never met anybody as generous as Richard Schmid,” says Colorado artist Mark Daily. He first saw Schmid’s work at a Chicago street festival in the early 1960s. “I became caught up in his sense of beauty,” says Daily. After leaving art school, he wrote Schmid a letter, and the artist responded by
inviting Daily to his home and studio in Connecticut to study for a week. Daily took him up on the offer and became a regular visitor. “I was completely enthralled by his work and talent—and his kindness,” says Daily. “He really extended himself—at one point he even bought me some of his favorite brushes.” Daily is represented by Merrill Gallery of Fine Art, Denver, CO; Grapevine Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK; and Nedra Matteucci’s Fenn Galleries, Santa Fe, NM. —MB
· Tim Thies ·
Colorado painter Tim Thies started out as a graphic designer and illustrator but
soon discovered that he didn’t like either career. He began pursuing fine art in private studies and workshops, and then he ran into Richard Schmid. “I learned from Richard that what I had been missing all those years was the importance of knowing what I wanted to say about a subject before I began painting it,” says Thies. “I needed to develop my own language to communicate through my paintings.” Thies is represented by DeMott Gallery, Vail, CO; Smith-Klein Gallery, Boulder, CO; Christina Gallery, Edgartown, MA; and Christopher Gallery, Cohasset, MA. —KB
· Rose Frantzen ·
“Richard introduces the heart and mind into painting,” says Rose Frantzen,
who studied under Schmid when she was just beginning to paint. “I had no idea how to move a brush around, no idea about color—though I had illusions that I did.” Schmid taught her technique and the importance of observation. Frantzen recalls a time he identified the grasses in his yard; she doubted ever learning such details. “Over time I realized you do learn the grass, not only the types but how the blades blow in the wind. Richard teaches you to be truly present when painting, that everything you learn is a desired discovery.” Frantzen lives in Iowa and is represented by Pam Driscol Gallery, Aspen, CO; and Old City Hall Gallery, Maquoketa, IA. —LB
· Teresa Vito ·
Teresa Vito began studying with Richard Schmid in 1993. Watching him paint with not only
brushes but steel wool, toothpicks, and pieces of paper opened her mind to the possibilities of painting. In particular, Vito has learned from Schmid the importance of painting edges. Instead of drawing hard edges, Schmid merges forms with one another in a painterly style. “Richard’s edges look alive and breathing,” says Vito. Of the opportunity to study with an artist of Schmid’s reputation, Vito says, “Observing Richard at work is like watching a painting from a museum come to life.” Vito lives in Colorado and is represented by Abend Gallery, Denver, CO; Columbine Gallery, Loveland, CO; Arts at Silver Plume, Silver Plume, CO; and Arts at Georgetown, Georgetown, CO. —MB
· Joni Falk·
Joni Falk took a class with Richard Schmid at the Scottsdale Artists School in Arizona a
few years ago and also once had the opportunity
for a lesson in his studio. “Studying with him was an incredible experience. He’s so highly regarded among artists and so generous with his time,” Falk says. From Schmid, Falk learned the importance of simplifying her brush strokes. “I practically press my nose against his paintings when I see them in person—the colors mix on the canvas in one stroke,” she says. “He teaches you that by simply touching your brush with two values of a color and putting that on the canvas, the eye will blend the colors for you.” Falk lives in Arizona and is represented by Legacy Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ, and Jackson, WY; and Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ. —MB
· Nancy Guzik ·
Nancy Guzik first met Richard Schmid when he was giving demonstrations several times
a year at the American Academy of Art, Chicago, where she was a student. She also began painting alongside him at the Palette & Chisel Club in Chicago. “Even the experience of comparing my work to his motivated me to keep pushing myself to improve,” she says. “The most important things
I’ve learned from Richard are not to settle for anything less than excellence and to paint what’s in my heart.” Guzik is represented by Talisman Gallery, Bartlesville, OK; Pam Driscol Gallery, Aspen, CO; William Duncan Fine Art, Park City, UT; and West Wind Fine Art & Antiques, Longmont, CO. —KB
· Dan Gerhartz ·
Wisconsin artist Dan Gerhartz learned the basics of art in high school and continued to learn his craft at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. It was there that he met Richard Schmid and accompanied him on a couple of week-long painting trips. “Richard cared enough to pass along the simple truths in the art of seeing—accuracy, simplicity, proper relationships, etc.,” says Gerhartz. “He taught me to identify my weaknesses and attack them.” Gerhartz is
represented by Grapevine Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK; Pierce Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ; Ann Hughes Fine Arts, Dallas, TX; Meyer Galleries, Santa Fe, NM; and Eleanor Ettinger, New York, NY. —DT
Featured in “Portfolio” June 1998