Richard Schmid - The Conversation I Didn’t Get to Have

I deeply regret not having Richard Schmid on the Artful Painter podcast before he died April 18, 2021.

Coming into painting much later, I’ve been slow on getting to know who our contemporary painting masters are. About three years ago I bought Schmid’s book Alla Prima II - Everything I Know About Painting and More. It’s an extraordinarily rich and inspiring read. Lushly illustrated with Schmid’s paintings and demonstrations, this book is more than just a “how-to” book of technique (and there’s a lot of that in it). His book also shares his philosophical approach to painting. It’s very much a book on how to become a painter, and how to think and feel like a painter. Schmid puts a great deal of emphasis on cultivating a strong work ethic as a painter. But it’s not all stearn discipline! Schmid also encourages the student not to take everything so seriously. He admonishes us to slow down enough to evaluate our mistakes, and correct those mistakes as we develop a painting. Of course, most you already know this since I believe most you probably have this book.

Back in April I was dismayed to hear of his death. I had kept putting off reaching out to him to include him on the Artful Painter. I suppose I kept thinking just “one more week, one more month.” But, then, suddenly there are no more “one more week, one more month.” He was gone. Please don’t misunderstand – my regret is not about missing the opportunity to put a feather in my cap and stoking my ego with an interview score. Rather, I had missed the opportunity to preserve the story and voice of a truly great artist.

This morning YouTube served up an unexpected recommendation. It is a video interview conducted by portrait artist Michelle Dunaway with both Richard Schmid and his wife Nancy Guzik. It was recorded August 2020. Running a little over an hour long, it’s a wonderful conversation. I like Michelle’s approach. She doesn’t start off her interview with the “epic bio” format so many interviewers lamely default to. She dives right in and before you know it, you are sipping the last of your coffee and regretfully the hour is up.

Thanks, Michelle. I am deeply grateful to you for providing the conversation I didn’t get to have. The timing for finding this wonderful conversation is perfect. In coincides with me reading Schmid’s Alla Prima II. Michelle’s interview adds a voice to the man who penned that book in the first person.

Richard Schmid will certainly be missed by all of us. Yet, his legacy, wisdom, and delightful wit will continue to inspire us in our lifelong journey of becoming a painter.