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Contact Me for More Info: casryder@comcast.net

About The Artist

I graduated from the American Academy of Art in 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in fine art. Before that, I received a gold key in Scholastics in 1995 and received honorable mention in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest in 1996 while in high school. During my freshman year of high school, I remember signing up for a jewelry class. Somehow, I was accidently put in a drawing and painting class instead. It is funny how ending up in the wrong class can change someone's path in life. Had I not received this drawing and painting class on accident, I may never have pursued an art career. I have been creating art ever since.

As far as painting goes, my favorite medium is acrylic paint although I am also familiar with oil paint. My favorite technique is color glazing, I feel that my finished paintings have so much more depth perception with this technique. I also like to punch up the colors to create a vibrant and vivid scene. One thing I have been exploring a lot of lately is the beauty nature has to offer in its landscapes. The natural colors and textures that nature has to offer is very appealing to me. Water also has a special draw to me. I love painting the lights and colors that dance on its ever moving surface like tumbling jewels. The colors and textures are never the same.

I began seeking out another medium in late 2012. That medium is scratch board or is also known as clay board. The piece starts out as a board that is coated with clay and then usually some type of black india ink. I then pencil in the outline and scratch out the negative space (the white area) with an exacto knife. I tend to use different blade sizes to get different textures. The stark white on the black surface creates a great contrast to the piece. One thing to note about the scratch board is that it is a very touchy medium. Once the negative space is scratched away, there is no going back. Each scratch mark has to be very precise. To even touch the surface of the black board with your finger can put oily finger prints on the board which could ultimately ruin the piece. I am constantly washing my hands and working with pieces of paper on either side of the area that is being scratched to avoid this damage from taking place. The difficulty level of the scratch board is a great challenge that I thoroughly enjoy. I am always up for a good challenge as an artist.

Illustrating is another form of art I am familiar with. I did, after all, receive a bachelor degree in fine art with a major in illustration. Telling a story with a picture is always fun and can be pretty effective. I have always liked doing illustrations and painting illustrative collaborations of vacations that prospective clients take by putting together many pictures and landscapes that are photographed while on vacation. In order to do this type of painting, I sit down with the client, take notes while listening to the stories told about the trip, and look at the personal pictures taken. I then research the areas visited and take the highlights of the trip and roll them into a collage type piece that tells a picturesque story. It creates a form of memorabilia that will always remind the client of the trip he or she took. Then, of course, there are people and animal portraits. I love animals and enjoy capturing their beauty on canvas. When it comes to doing a portrait of someone, it is a great and enjoyable challenge to capture a person's character in a portrait.

I enjoy drawing as well. In the drawings section of this website, you will see the various different drawings that I have done. I have always enjoyed the simplicity of using a pencil. It leaves an appealing texture on the paper. I also love working with mosaics and many other crafts and miscellaneous art. Keeping busy creating is something that I will always do. There is a certain drive to create that makes the artist in me thrive. Below I am pictured starting another painting.