Here I am looking professional, dignified and respectable (at least a little) … then I became an artist …
Rich Sheaffer resides in San Marcos, California. Since retiring from the electric utility industry at the end of 2016, Rich has branched out into the areas of writing and art. While much of Rich’s career in engineering and management was rather mundane, the exceptions were when he did not follow conventional wisdom and explored on his own without necessarily doing things the accepted, “correct” way. That is when breakthroughs occur, discoveries are made and quantum improvements can be initiated. It is with that spirit that Rich creates art by inspiration and imagination rather than by any formal artistic training … at least so far. Like his life, his works are all experimental; he never knows from the onset how the final work will appear.
Rich notes that he uses the same peaceful, light blue background in all of his works. Whether this represents God, infinity, the ever-present potential for love and kindness, “all that ever was and ever will be”, faith, hope, or anything else is up to each viewer, but it is not intended as anything tangible or visible like sky or sea.
He chooses current, controversial topics to arouse complex thinking and lively dialogue. He believes that for his works to be of value, they should inspire debate and create many more questions than answers.
Many of his works portray social topics that are in the political milieu, presenting those in abstract form, to which he refers as “Socio-Political Abstractionism”. His works currently being offered for exhibit are almost all in the Socio-Political Abstractionism genre, inspired by current events. Those works might question the connectivity (or lack thereof) of the current President of the United States and his administration to the people and the planet, and question our connectivity to our government and ourselves at the same time. How did we get to this current state of affairs? Do we support that state of affairs? Do we dare to act in response to the policies and actions of the President and his administration, and if so, how should we do so? It is questions like these that the artist has hoped to raise for discussion by his works. As our political climate continues to change day-by-day, new questions will surely come along.
At work where the light is great … in my living room!
For those who may be wondering, here are Rich’s top five genres of art that he enjoys:
- Abstract Expressionism (Jackson Pollock)
- French Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism (Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat)
- Breakthroughs and Unconventionality in in Modern Art (Vincent van Gogh)
- Pop Art (Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons)
- Surrealism (Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso)
Rich is currently in the Artist Registry of the Fallbrook Art Center.
Rich currently supports the arts, not only locally but also internationally, through the following memberships.
- San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) and Artists Guild (SDMAAG)
- Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) and Artist Alliance
- Artist Guild of the Fallbrook Art Center (FAC)
- North County Society of Fine Arts (NCSFA)
- California Art Club (CAC)
- Escondido Arts Partnership (EAP) Municipal Gallery
- International Society of Experimental Artists (ISEA)
- Artists for a Better World International
- Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD)
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (“The Met” in Central Park)
Rich also supports these galleries and other organizations through donations.
- ArtReach
- The Studio Door
- Not Real Art