Richard Oversmith, 1971 | Plein Air painter | Tutt'Art@ | Pittura * Scultura * Poesia * Musica

American painter Richard Oversmith received formal training in Fine Art and Illustration at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While at Kendall he was invited to study at the Royal College of Art in London, England. There he gained experience in plein air painting and found direction in his work as an oil painter. He graduated from Kendall College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995 and moved back to his home state of North Carolina to pursue his dream of becoming a professional artist.

The natural beauty of Western North Carolina has proven to offer infinite inspiration for Richard's impressionistic landscapes. From rolling mountains to abundant waterfalls, the majestic Biltmore Estate to a simple farm scene, this region evokes the artist’s muse. Richard finds inspiration not only at home but in his many travels. He has painted all over the USA and has taken several trips overseas to France and Italy. Whether at home or abroad, Richard surrounds himself in the elements of the scene while painting, in true "en plein air" fashion. In the studio, his sense of vision and mood guide him to produce still lifes ranging from the classic to the imaginative.

Richard's purpose in painting is to provoke the viewer to interact with his pieces. His paintings are his voice, and stroke by stroke, he composes a whole that relates his vision. Richard works in oil on linen, a medium compatible with the passion he puts into his creation. He strives to achieve a mood in every painting through the use of such visual stimuli as color, edges, value and drawing. He has derived his style from the lifelong study of past masters, the influence of contemporary painters he admires, and elements that have evolved from deep within himself. He allows the setting to speak to him, creating only as many brushstrokes as are needed for the viewer's eyes to understand and connect.

Education

1994 Summer Semester at the Royal College of Art; London, England;
1995 BFA in Illustration from Kendall College of Art and Design; Grand Rapids, MI;
2001 Week-long workshop with T. Allen Lawson at Scottsdale Artists' School; Scottsdale, AZ.

Memberships

1999 - present Active member of Oil Painters Of America;
2007 - present Member of Plein Air Painters of the Southeast;
2011 - present Member of the American Impressionist Society.

Representation

2005 - present The Art Cellar; Banner Elk, NC;
2010 - present Skyuka Fine Art; Tryon, NC;
2011 - present J. M. Stringer Fine Art; Bernardsville, NJ;
2011 - present J. M. Stringer Fine Art; Vero Beach, FL;
2012 - present COCO VIVO Art for Living; Charleston, SC;
2012 - present COCO VIVO Art for Living; Boothbay Harbor, ME;
2013 - present Warm Springs Gallery; Warm Spring, VA.

Exhibits

2000 Three Person Show; 16 Patton, Asheville, NC;
2001 OPA National Exhibit; Palm Springs, CA;
2002 OPA National Exhibit; Chicago, IL;
2002 Three Person Show; 16 Patton, Asheville, NC;
2002 OPA Regional Exhibit; Richmond, VA;
2003 Solo Exhibit; 16 Patton, Asheville, NC;
2003 Paint-out Exhibit at Hamilton Gallery; Montreat, NC;
2004 Best and the Brightest Show; Scottsdale Artists School, Scottsdale, AZ;
2004 Two Person Show; Ella Walton Richardson Gallery, Charleston, SC;
2005 2nd Annual Plein-Air Show Sale; Germanton Art Gallery, Germanton, NC;
2005 Minature Show; Germanton Art Gallery, Germanton, NC;
2006 3rd Annual Plein-Air Show Sale; Germanton Art Gallery, Germanton, NC;
2006 Richard Oversmith: New Work; 16 Patton, Asheville, NC;
2006 Minature Show; Germanton Art Gallery, Germanton, NC;
2007 4th Annual Plein-Air Show Sale; Germanton Art Gallery, Germanton, NC;
2007 Plein Air Perspectives; The Art Cellar, Banner Elk, NC;
2007 France: Village to Sea; 16 Patton, Asheville, NC;
2008 From the Home and Garden; The Wells Gallery, Charleston, SC;
2008 PAPSE Annual Paint-out and Sale; Anderson Fine Art, St. Simons Island, GA;
2008 OPA National Exhibit; Dana Gallery - Missoula, Montana
2008 Bold and the Beautiful; ACofHC Hendersonville, NC
2008 Contemporary Visions: Portrait and Still Lifes; 16 Patton Gallery, Asheville, NC;
2008 Group Figure Show; The Wells Gallery, Cahrleston, SC;
2008 Two Person Show; The Wells Gallery, Charleston, SC;
2008 Miniatures and Pochades: 16 Patton Gallery, Asheville, NC;
2008 Landscapes: Of Hope and Glory; 16 Patton Gallery, Asheville, NC;
2009 Salon International 2009, Greenhouse Galery; San Antonio, TX;
2009 Richard Oversmith: Recent works, Solo Show; 16 Patton Gallery, Asheville, NC;
2009 5th Annual Plein Air Easton Show; Art Academy Museum, Easton, MD;
2009 South Lands and Still life, Solo Show; The Crescent Gallery, Spartanburg, SC;
2009 Paint Wilmington 2009, Group Show; Walls Gallery, Wilmington, NC;
2010 Callaway Garden Paint, Show and Sale; Callway Garden, GA;
2010 Cashiers Paint Out and Sale; Cashiers, NC;
2010 6th Annual Plein Air Easton Show; Art Academy Museum, Easton, MD;
2010 Fleeting Glimpses, Solo Show; 16 Patton Gallery, Asheville, NC;
2011 Of Similiar Vision, Two Man Show; Campbell House Gallery Southern Pines, NC;
2011 Richard Oversmith 'Recent Paintings' Skyuka Fine Art Tryon, NC;
2011 Salon International 2011, Greenhouse Gallery; San Antonio, TX;
2011 Summer Show, JM Stringer Fine Art; Bernardsville, NJ;
2011 A Sense of Place, PAP-SE Group Show; Huntsville Art Museum, Huntsville, AL;
2011 Peace, Joy, and Paint, A group show; Skyuka Fine Art, Tryon, NC;
2011 Impressonist Dreams, A Two Man Show, J.M. Stringer Fine Art, Vero Beach, FL;
2012 Florida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational; Apalachicola, FL;
2012 19th Annual Carmel Art Festival; Carmel, CA;
2012 PAP-SE Returns to Charleston, Group Show; Charleston, SC;
2012 Plein Air Richmond; Richmond, VA;
2012 OPA National Exhibit; Evergreen, CO;
2012 Cashiers Plein Air Festival; Cashiers, NC;
2012 Ready, Set, Go - Artists on the Move, J.M. Stringer Gallery; Bernardsville, NJ;
2012 The Beauty of Observation: An American Plein Air Showcase; John Brown University;
2012 Sonoma Plein Air; Sonoma, CA;
2012 Blue Ridge Realist Exhibit, Hickory Museum of Art; Hickory, NC;
2013 Tranquil Moments, J.M. Stringer Gallery; Vero Beach, FL;
2013 'Meanderings'; Warm Springs Gallery in Charlottesville, VA;
2013 Gentility Abounds; J.M. Stringer Gallery; Bernardsville, NJ;
2013 BATH COUNTY PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL; Warm Springs, VA;
2013 Cumberland Society Juried Exhibition; Nashville, TN;
2013 Tis the Season; J.M. Stringer Gallery; Vero Beach, FL;
2014 CAVE and OVERSMITH, Two Views; The Art Cellar Gallery, Banner Elk, NC;
2014 The Sumptuous Palette, J.M. Stringer Gallery; Bernardsville, NJ;
2014 Door County Plein Air Festival, Fish Creek, WI;
2014 Travel Near Far, Skyuka Fine Art, Tryon, NC;
2014 THE SECOND ANNUAL BATH COUNTY PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL; Warm Springs, VA;
2015 Earthly Delights; J.M. Stringer Gallery; Vero Beach, FL.
Articles
2007 August Issue: From Village to Sea; American Art Collector Magazine;
2007 August Issue: In Plein Sight; Bold Life Magazine;
2008 June Issue: Richard Oversmith Captures Moments in Light; Rapid River Magazine;
2008 December Issue: Richard Oversmith Cover Artist; The Laurel of Asheville Magazine;
2009 Sumer issue: Plein Genius; Carolina Home and Garden Magazine;
2012 April/May issue: Landscape or Still Life: Similar Process, Diﬀerent Concentration; Plein Air Magazine;
2015 January Issue: Earthly Delights; American Art Collector Magazine.

Awards

1990 One year Merit Scholarship, Kendall College of Art and Design;
1993 2nd Place in CMYK Magazine Digital Image Competition;
2000 Shirl Smithson Scholarship (through OPA) to study with T. Allen Lawson;
2004 Judged signature memmber of Western North Carolina Pein Air Painters;
2008 1st Place at the Southern Light Plein Air Paint-out;
2009 Peoples Choice Award, Banner Elk Greenway "Paint Out" Event;
2010 3rd Place Cashiers Plein Air competition;
2010 Best Marine Painting, 6th Annual Plein Air Easton Competition;
2011 1st place at the Toe River Art Councils Annual Paint Out Competition;
2011 1st Place at the Battle of the Brush Competition; Old Fort, NC;
2012 Honorable Mention at Carmel Arts Festival; Carmel, CA;
2012 Honorable Mention at Cashiers Plein Air Competition;
2013 3rd Place; Cumberland Society Juried Exhibition; Nashville, Tennesse;
2014 Artist Choice Award in Bath County Plein Air Festival; Warm Springs, Virgina.