Art gives me a way to see.

It forces me to slow down, concentrate, and truly understand what I’m looking at.

I enjoy painting cows and dogs, but people—that’s where it really hits home. There are so many of us, each carrying a story.

Capturing that story on a flat canvas is exciting. The path to get there, though, is always a mystery.

The process? It’s about moving paint around until something speaks to me. That’s both the challenge and the reward.

Oil paint is the perfect medium for this journey. If I don’t like what I see, I can paint over it. Layer by layer, it builds history. I work from the inside out.

Each pass reveals more about the subject and the world around them. Every painting is a trip—an exploration of what it means to truly see someone.

Bob Richardson, 2025