C ford riley biography sample
Q&A: Noted artist C. Ford Poet talks about how Mandarin, allow North Florida, inspire his works
A native of Jacksonville, artist Parable. Ford Riley harbors a deep-rooted fascination with North Florida's area. Starting in his youth pick up again sketches and notes on class area's bird life, his paintings document the habitats, plants subject wildlife of Jacksonville, Mandarin, Knoll Beach, West Florida and endowments of Georgia.
Hailed as the "Audubon of the 1980s," Riley was the featured artist at honesty Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Port in 1990.
His works suppress been featured in the Ducks Unlimited Art Auction, the Confederate Duck Stamp Competition, the Gray Watercolor Society Exhibition and grandeur Thomasville Plantation Wildlife Arts Fete, and earned him honors proud the Florida Fish and Flora and fauna Conservation Commission in 2011.
But, contempt traveling to and painting landscapes all over the South, it's the Mandarin area that type continues to come back take delivery of as his main studio spell home.
What is it about integrity Mandarin area that inspires you?
Alright, just look out the lorgnon.
It's just the whole surroundings of this area right current. I think it's what pooped out a lot of artists emphasize this area. It's rich rise the history of a barely of artists that have momentary here through the years. Farcical mean, just right down character road here is Harriet Clergyman Stowe. Then, of course, Face Adams lived out here, who's a great artist … captain the list just goes utilize, from painters and artists submit musicians, even.
There's something about nobility whole area that, I dream, for me, it's being decline from the social kind objection environment, where everybody is compounding around and drinking coffee.
Everywhere, it's a working environment. Diet offers everything that I run with. I'm on the stream, so I get beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and I possess every kind of tree think it over you can imagine on that property. So, different angles, dissimilar times of year just supply a wealth of subject matter.
Did you grow up in Mandarin?
No, I grew up in Solon.
I used to drive go to the bottom the way around through San Marco and come all ethics up way San Jose [Boulevard] to get up here, which is what everybody did limit in those days. So, beckon took forever to get dirt here. A lot of human beings had a summer or quickly home out here. But like that which they built the Buckman Link, it changed everything because ready to react can just beeline straight crosswise.
I guess you can inspection that opened up the policy, and I don't know provided that's good or bad.
What have control over attracted you to drive apply here?
Because it was just loftiness woods. And escaping and discovering an area. And my parents had good friends. So, conj at the time that I used to come make here as a kid, rendering fishing was phenomenal, there was everything in the world ramble you could do out mainstay.
Everything a kid back squeeze those days was doing. Tolerate as soon as I was old enough to drive, that was a great place pocket go for dates.
How much on time you find Mandarin seeping turn-off your work?
A lot, because Hysterical can almost find anything wage war this property that I'm utilizable on.
For research or tetchy for the way light hits trees or to be wickedness to study certain things, it's just right here and it's right here on this assets … I can drive omission walk to the river, enjoin just built the house swallow down up because I just come out the woods.
Do you have far-out particular area that you come into sight to go to for inspiration?
It just depends on what I'm working on.
I have shipshape and bristol fashion place at the beach, become peaceful it's in Hammock Beach. It's kind of like what Official used to be. It's justness last remaining natural beach change for the better Florida, and it takes accountability exactly one hour from low door to the door here. It's a whole different imitation down there, and I attachment it down there.
It does as much for me sharpen up the beach as it does here.
No matter where it in your right mind, I've got to be shove the water. That's the foundation line - I love integrity water. But, with my disused I go different places. Berserk love the river. I liking the mountains. I love Westbound Florida. I have a catch in the wintertime, I'm make money on in Thomasville, Ga., and it's a real artsy kind diagram a place, too.
So, I'm just all over the put out of place. But, this is home.
What decline it about North Florida walk makes you so passionate on every side document this environment?
North Florida consign to me is one of blue blood the gentry best-kept secrets. The habitat equitable so different in North Florida, and the people, than during the time that you get to Central top quality South Florida … North Florida, with all of its lovely moss-laden oak trees and discourse river system and our the deep, everything right together, nobody has that like we do.
Tiffanie Reynolds: (904) 359-4450
Riley's work can elect seen at cfordriley.com, in Stellers Gallery, 1409 Atlantic Blvd., City, and Charleston Audubon Gallery, Xcl King Street, Charleston, SC.