Lingering to catch the light
From Belgium street scenes to Utah landscapes, Richard Boyer's art is about capturing the moment
By Brandon Griggs
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published May 28, 2006 12:00 am
From Belgium street scenes to Utah landscapes, Richard Boyer's art is about capturing the moment
By Brandon Griggs
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published May 28, 2006 12:00 am
Richard Boyer knows the word for "turpentine" in German. And Swedish. And French, Dutch and Italian.
Boyer is not a language scholar, but an artist who needs turpentine to clean the oils from his brushes when he paints outdoor scenes in Europe. Because federal aviation laws prohibit passengers from bringing the flammable liquid on airplanes, Boyer must buy turpentine in each country he visits.
Boyer explains this while standing before an easel in his airy Salt Lake City studio, dabbing final touches to his painting of a canalside cafe in Brugges, Belgium. Such multitasking comes easily to the artist, who routinely fields questions from curious passersby while painting outdoors. Boyer loves this plein-air style of painting, which immerses him in breathtaking scenery throughout Europe's great cities.
"It's an excuse to travel," says the artist, who believes painting from photographs is no match for observing a scene firsthand. "I can go to Amsterdam, set up my paints and work for two weeks. I love that."
Boyer is a rarity among Utah artists: His subjects are as likely to be Paris street scenes as Wasatch Mountain landscapes. This international focus can be traced to 1982, when Boyer went to Germany to study after graduating from the University of Utah. He stayed more than five years, met a woman in Berlin who would become his wife and painted throughout Europe. It was an exhilarating experience.
Although Boyer and his Swedish-born wife, Karin, relocated to Utah in 1988 and had three children, they return to Europe each summer. To keep his subject matter fresh, Boyer visits a different locale almost every time. He is most often drawn to street scenes and water, which he likes for its fluid, impressionistic look. And he lingers at each spot to capture its flavor.
"You set up your easel . . . and you see shopkeepers come out and open their stores. You see life go by as you do your painting," he says. "Most people won't view a scene for two hours. They'll stop for five minutes, take a picture and move on. And they'll miss all the nuances."
Like the way the morning sun sparkles off Stockholm's harbor. Or the way the waters of the Seine shimmer in the twilight. As in photography, capturing light is crucial to the success of any landscape painting. Because of this, Boyer must work quickly before the sun's drift changes the light and shadows of his scene.
"I like a lot of backlit stuff," he says. "You get most of your colors in the shadows because they just sort of pop out."
Boyer brings 20 to 30 paintings home from each of his Europe trips, wrapped in plastic and stacked like pancakes in a special suitcase. He also paints often in southeastern Utah and at the Grand Canyon. Even so, with galleries in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington and Connecticut selling his work, he can't keep up with demand.
"I'm backlogged," he says, with a fistful of different-colored brushes in his left hand - a technique he learned from legendary University of Utah art professor Alvin Gittins. "I can only produce at a certain rate."
Demand for Boyer's work may increase with his profile, which has risen with each of his many recent accolades. Since 2004, his paintings have graced the covers of American Artist and International Artist magazines, and he wins prizes almost every year in the prestigious Arts for the Parks competition, open to paintings that depict scenes from national parks.
Until recently, Boyer's paintings were only available through galleries outside Utah. But the Southam Gallery in Salt Lake City began carrying his work about 18 months ago. The gallery has since sold almost three dozen Boyer paintings - an impressive figure for original oils that can command more than $6,000 apiece.
"Richard is one of the most talented and successful artists we have ever exhibited in our 24 years of business," says gallery owner Linda Southam, who appreciates Boyer's talent for painting scenes from life. "You've got to move fast because the light's changing every minute. Not every artist can do that, but he can."
Boyer is not a language scholar, but an artist who needs turpentine to clean the oils from his brushes when he paints outdoor scenes in Europe. Because federal aviation laws prohibit passengers from bringing the flammable liquid on airplanes, Boyer must buy turpentine in each country he visits.
Boyer explains this while standing before an easel in his airy Salt Lake City studio, dabbing final touches to his painting of a canalside cafe in Brugges, Belgium. Such multitasking comes easily to the artist, who routinely fields questions from curious passersby while painting outdoors. Boyer loves this plein-air style of painting, which immerses him in breathtaking scenery throughout Europe's great cities.
"It's an excuse to travel," says the artist, who believes painting from photographs is no match for observing a scene firsthand. "I can go to Amsterdam, set up my paints and work for two weeks. I love that."
Boyer is a rarity among Utah artists: His subjects are as likely to be Paris street scenes as Wasatch Mountain landscapes. This international focus can be traced to 1982, when Boyer went to Germany to study after graduating from the University of Utah. He stayed more than five years, met a woman in Berlin who would become his wife and painted throughout Europe. It was an exhilarating experience.
Although Boyer and his Swedish-born wife, Karin, relocated to Utah in 1988 and had three children, they return to Europe each summer. To keep his subject matter fresh, Boyer visits a different locale almost every time. He is most often drawn to street scenes and water, which he likes for its fluid, impressionistic look. And he lingers at each spot to capture its flavor.
"You set up your easel . . . and you see shopkeepers come out and open their stores. You see life go by as you do your painting," he says. "Most people won't view a scene for two hours. They'll stop for five minutes, take a picture and move on. And they'll miss all the nuances."
Like the way the morning sun sparkles off Stockholm's harbor. Or the way the waters of the Seine shimmer in the twilight. As in photography, capturing light is crucial to the success of any landscape painting. Because of this, Boyer must work quickly before the sun's drift changes the light and shadows of his scene.
"I like a lot of backlit stuff," he says. "You get most of your colors in the shadows because they just sort of pop out."
Boyer brings 20 to 30 paintings home from each of his Europe trips, wrapped in plastic and stacked like pancakes in a special suitcase. He also paints often in southeastern Utah and at the Grand Canyon. Even so, with galleries in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington and Connecticut selling his work, he can't keep up with demand.
"I'm backlogged," he says, with a fistful of different-colored brushes in his left hand - a technique he learned from legendary University of Utah art professor Alvin Gittins. "I can only produce at a certain rate."
Demand for Boyer's work may increase with his profile, which has risen with each of his many recent accolades. Since 2004, his paintings have graced the covers of American Artist and International Artist magazines, and he wins prizes almost every year in the prestigious Arts for the Parks competition, open to paintings that depict scenes from national parks.
Until recently, Boyer's paintings were only available through galleries outside Utah. But the Southam Gallery in Salt Lake City began carrying his work about 18 months ago. The gallery has since sold almost three dozen Boyer paintings - an impressive figure for original oils that can command more than $6,000 apiece.
"Richard is one of the most talented and successful artists we have ever exhibited in our 24 years of business," says gallery owner Linda Southam, who appreciates Boyer's talent for painting scenes from life. "You've got to move fast because the light's changing every minute. Not every artist can do that, but he can."