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| My feature article on Richard McDaniel in the April/May 2020 issue of PleinAir Magazine |
Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Where were you on April 22, 1970? I'm not sure where I was, but California artist Richard McDaniel was participating in the very first Earth Day exhibition.
I've known Richard for many years now, having first met him while he was teaching a workshop in Maine. I went to visit him there one afternoon to interview him for a possible book project. We hit it off and have stayed in touch ever since.
Looking forward to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Richard spent the last three years documenting the Russian River for an exhibition and book project in partnership with Sonoma Land Trust and Sonoma Water. The project was interrupted several times by natural disasters:
During the three years I was drawing and painting the river, a few major wildfires impacted the area, including my hometown of Santa Rosa. There was widespread damage to the watershed and considerable strain on the people and animals of the region. But the community is strong, and Nature is resilient.I recently interviewed him for PleinAir Magazine, and in the April/May 2020 feature article, Richard discusses the project. Several images of over 50 paintings and drawings from the project accompany the article.
Unfortunately, another natural disaster - the novel coronavirus - has interrupted the project, delaying both the exhibition and the publication of the book. Like many of us artists who are also affected by the pandemic, Richard is carrying on and looking forward to the day the exhibition and book will become a reality. I'm looking forward to seeing both.
Laguna de Santa Rosa in a Rainstorm
oil, 30x47, 2013
from The Russian River and its Watershed
