(Portland, ME) Richard Boyd Art Gallery welcomes Randy Eckard to the group of artists represented by the gallery in southern Maine. Randy is a trained commercial artist and ceramicist living in Blue Hill, Maine. His career as a fine artist working exclusively with watercolors spans more than three decades. Inspired by his wandering and explorations of the Maine coast, Eckard's paintings have won over 190 awards in watercolor throughout New England and the Southeast. His paintings are widely collected and included in numerous private and corporate collections. Randy's paintings are on view in the "Holiday Offerings" exhibit which is open free of charge to the public every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through January 31, 2016.

About the Artist

Raised in North Carolina, Eckard studied at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida and the Haywood School of Craft in Clyde, North Carolina. Randy says, "My approach to watercolor painting is nontraditional, in that I try to avoid the limitations and trappings of traditional watercolor techniques. Although traditional washes are an integral part of the painting process, I rely more on the layering of color with glazing and dry brush work. Moving between wet and dry on the same piece of paper achieves a variety of complimentary surfaces, which allows for the luminous quality of watercolor with added depth of color and texture.

Light plays an essential role in my paintings. It is as if the subtle or dramatic interplay of light and shadow become the subject more than the objects themselves. Light reveals the character, color, and texture of objects, whether man-made or natural. The alteration of lighted and shadowed planes produces powerful patterns and can be an important element of design.

Subject matter has always been of paramount importance to me, especially with its tendency to come unexpectedly. Quiet, patient observation will almost always reveal the life of a subject, although frequently, the focus of my impression will change through the course of a painting. The paintings' titles offer clues to the experience behind an inspiration."

About the Gallery

Richard Boyd Art Gallery is a fine arts gallery located on Peaks Island in Portland, Maine. The gallery exhibits original works of art created by artists with a connection to the state of Maine, working in a broad range of styles from contemporary to traditional realism, covering an array of subjects, in a variety of mediums.

During the months of April through October the gallery is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. From November through the end of March the gallery is open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Additional days and times by appointment.

For additional information please contact the gallery by phone at 207-712-1097, via email at info@richardboydartgallery.com or visit www.richardboydartgallery.com . For weekly news or updates please like the gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardBoydArtGallery . 

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