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Ricky Louis Foster
Bio
I was born November 28th, 1958 in Wichita KS. The fourth out of eight rambunctious boys; my father worked at the Boeing aircraft co. and my mother worked at the Cudahy meat packing co. Now being the middle child, it kind of fits that I would be the extremely introverted one. My seven brothers and I were raised in a small home in the country, that my uncle and my dad had built, located absolutely in the middle of know where in southeastern Kansas. Just thirty miles south of Wichita between the two small towns of Wellington and Belleplaine. No internet or phones, one black and white TV, that had two channels, three on a good day, which was a pretty normal for life in the midwest in the 60s/70s. The days were spent outside in the fields playing/working or going to school. In the evenings my brothers and I played board games or sketched at the kitchen table. I enjoyed drawing so much that often times I found myself doing it everywhere, at school for instance, during class, not the best idea. Eventually fellow class mates and teachers took notice and I began receiving attention, which was inspiring. So I kept it up through middle school then my interest in art started to wane and my endeavors went elsewhere for many years.
I was in my forties driving down E. Central str. in Wichita an exboxer, exbody builder, extrainer, exstudent pilot, with a fresh kidney transplant and just finishing up an Associate’s Degree at Butler Community College, while working at one of the many aircraft companies in Wichita KS, painting aircraft parts somewhat dissatisfied. When I noticed a sign, it read “Oil Painting fall classes starting", intriguing I thought to myself. Maybe I should give art another try. I’d tried about everything else without much enjoyment or passion, so I went inside the establishment “Wichita Center for the Arts”, and had a conversation with some wonderful people; consequently I enrolled and started taking drawing and oil painting classes. It wasn’t long before all my creativity and passion for the arts came flooding back and after many years of hard work and some very patient instructors. I’ve become an established traditional Artist.
I’m now in my sixties, happily retired, and moved to the Savannah GA, area to be close to my children, grandkids, and pursuing my dream and passion as a professional artist. It’s been wonderful and when I step into my studio I feel like a young boy again excited and passionate with a sense of purpose. I turn on my special lights and begin dissecting my painting, what’s working, what’s not, if the dimensions are correct, the values right, what about the viscosity of my oil paint is to my liking. So many questions I tend to ask myself. Usually I paint from photographs that I’ve taken, sometimes I’ll put two, maybe three, together or add things from other photos or take things out that I don’t like. If it’s a complex composition using the gridding method I find is very desirable. I enjoy the measuring and value checking and just getting lost in the whole process. Then there are other times, it’s nice to set up a still life and just paint, time becomes irrelevant, then after several weeks, sometimes months, a one of a kind, done by hand, beautiful painting emerges. It’s very satisfying and, if taken care of correctly will last for many lifetimes.
Artist Statement
I feel my main directive as an artist is to create paintings that will emotionally and mentally move a person inside, to cause an individual to just stop and stare, and feel.
Ricky Louis Foster
Bio
I was born November 28th, 1958 in Wichita KS. The fourth out of eight rambunctious boys; my father worked at the Boeing aircraft co. and my mother worked at the Cudahy meat packing co. Now being the middle child, it kind of fits that I would be the extremely introverted one. My seven brothers and I were raised in a small home in the country, that my uncle and my dad had built, located absolutely in the middle of know where in southeastern Kansas. Just thirty miles south of Wichita between the two small towns of Wellington and Belleplaine. No internet or phones, one black and white TV, that had two channels, three on a good day, which was a pretty normal for life in the midwest in the 60s/70s. The days were spent outside in the fields playing/working or going to school. In the evenings my brothers and I played board games or sketched at the kitchen table. I enjoyed drawing so much that often times I found myself doing it everywhere, at school for instance, during class, not the best idea. Eventually fellow class mates and teachers took notice and I began receiving attention, which was inspiring. So I kept it up through middle school then my interest in art started to wane and my endeavors went elsewhere for many years.
I was in my forties driving down E. Central str. in Wichita an exboxer, exbody builder, extrainer, exstudent pilot, with a fresh kidney transplant and just finishing up an Associate’s Degree at Butler Community College, while working at one of the many aircraft companies in Wichita KS, painting aircraft parts somewhat dissatisfied. When I noticed a sign, it read “Oil Painting fall classes starting", intriguing I thought to myself. Maybe I should give art another try. I’d tried about everything else without much enjoyment or passion, so I went inside the establishment “Wichita Center for the Arts”, and had a conversation with some wonderful people; consequently I enrolled and started taking drawing and oil painting classes. It wasn’t long before all my creativity and passion for the arts came flooding back and after many years of hard work and some very patient instructors. I’ve become an established traditional Artist.
I’m now in my sixties, happily retired, and moved to the Savannah GA, area to be close to my children, grandkids, and pursuing my dream and passion as a professional artist. It’s been wonderful and when I step into my studio I feel like a young boy again excited and passionate with a sense of purpose. I turn on my special lights and begin dissecting my painting, what’s working, what’s not, if the dimensions are correct, the values right, what about the viscosity of my oil paint is to my liking. So many questions I tend to ask myself. Usually I paint from photographs that I’ve taken, sometimes I’ll put two, maybe three, together or add things from other photos or take things out that I don’t like. If it’s a complex composition using the gridding method I find is very desirable. I enjoy the measuring and value checking and just getting lost in the whole process. Then there are other times, it’s nice to set up a still life and just paint, time becomes irrelevant, then after several weeks, sometimes months, a one of a kind, done by hand, beautiful painting emerges. It’s very satisfying and, if taken care of correctly will last for many lifetimes.
Artist Statement
I feel my main directive as an artist is to create paintings that will emotionally and mentally move a person inside, to cause an individual to just stop and stare, and feel.