We were lucky to catch up with Richard Blades recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

When it comes to being an artist, risk-taking is an integral part of the process. There are the risks we must take with our work, constantly exploring different approaches to expressing ourselves. Then there are the bigger risks that must be taken to develop our careers. There are many along the way, some work out whereas others don’t. Regardless of the outcome, embracing these risks will aid in our creative and professional development.

In time, one becomes more comfortable with taking risks and it is always easier once established as an artist. The strong foundations and platform can mean that the framework is there, a firm footing in one’s creativity and from which we can step out into the unknown. To take risks is to be alive as an artist, creativity and risk go hand in hand and it can be seen that the very foundations upon which we harness our strengths, were built on the risks we take.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an artist, living and working next to the sea in Norfolk UK. At the center of my practice is a fascination with light and atmosphere and I draw much of my inspiration from the landscape and sky. Working from both observation and memory, I strive to reflect my experiences of the natural world through the medium of paint.

Working in Oil and Gouache, I am influenced by both Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism, along with the European Romantic tradition of painting.

As well as being a painter, I also curate exhibitions at my gallery, The Point Contemporary in Cromer UK. Along with this, I regularly run painting workshops for Penn Studio School of Art and Winslow Art Center.

I am represented by numerous galleries in the UK and my work is held in private collections, worldwide.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There was a time in my life when all felt lost. I found myself at rock bottom, hanging on to the slightest semblance of both meaning and motivation. This was in my early 30’s and the journey that had led me to this point was one of poor mental health and addiction. I had always been interested in Art and attempted to establish a practice but had found it difficult to find my direction within it. A turning point came when I realised that painting and creativity could help me find a way of being that gave me a sense of purpose and a way of working through my difficulties, day by day and towards a future I wanted. Getting clean and finding the right help was not easy but I was determined to make a shift in my life and become an artist. This was a huge risk but one that inspired a sense of purpose. In those early days, I established a routine of productivity and learning, rebelling against my propensity to become disillusioned or distracted. I was living in London at the time and each day I would get up early, exercise, paint and then cycle across the city to visit galleries before returning to painting. Surviving on a very low income, initially made up of government assistance, I embarked on this project of reinvention and after one year I was invited by a charity to run workshops on Art and wellbeing. This then developed into working for a variety of Mental Health and Community charities as a workshop facilitator and Artist in residence. Bringing in enough money for me to dedicate the rest of my time to painting, I began building the foundations upon which I live and work today.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

It is as simple and as complicated as trying to express how I perceive the world and align my feelings and inspirations with the work I produce. Nature, in particular, the sky, sea, land and light do something to me that I strive to articulate. Through the medium of paint, this ancient and primal material, I am forever trying to capture a feeling that runs so deep. Art is ultimately a form of communication and at the core of my practice is the desire to interpret my experiences. In that sense, the mission of my creative journey, as reflected in the previous question, also has to do with this sense of purpose through the act of creativity itself, to feel as though I am connected to the world, in this phenomenological way and that each day is another opportunity to get closer to a form of expression that is in synchronicity with my perception. I don’t think I will ever reach that point but that is part of the beauty and the frustration of the journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://richardkbladesartist.co.uk
• Instagram: @richard.k.blades_art