Richard Seidel is known for his lively figurative paintings that are inspired by the bright and beautiful colors of St. Petersburg’s downtown and beaches, coastal vacations and artist residencies abroad. What you may not know about Richard is that many of his large, dramatic paintings begin as small drawings.  Taking his mini-sketchbook with him wherever he goes, Richard commits to paper what he sees as he goes about his daily life. Whether it be a cityscape in France or a couple in a St. Pete coffee shop, Richard’s drawings have an endearing quality to them that informs and shapes his later paintings.

 Seidel’s paintings have been exhibited extensively in St. Petersburg and Tampa, as well as Miami and Los Angeles, and the artist is represented by galleries in Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Columbus, Ohio.  He was honored with an Award of Distinction from the Morean Arts Center and completed the prestigious Creative Capital Foundation Program in New York in 2013.  He has completed artist residencies in Spain, Italy, Ireland, England and France, and his work hangs in the Florida Capitol building.

The intimacy and accessibility of the small-scale drawings in this exhibition serve as a reminder that sketching what we see is something all of us can do, whether it’s the first time you’ve put pen to paper or if you have a masters degree in art. Keeping a sketchbook serves as a visual diary of sorts, and is a great way to hone the art skills that you may not have known you’ve had all along.