Meet Bob Rickard

I spent my college years in the 1960’s on a meandering path of exploration through many majors searching for one that could keep my interest. I eventually landed in Theatre where I learned to design, build, and light stage sets. After college my creativity was stimulated staging productions for a regional California theatrical company.

The birth of my daughter turned my attention toward the support of my family. Rather than move into the larger world of unionized theatre, I took a 30+ year diversion into creating abstract work – computer software.

Seeking a way to return to producing more concrete works, I’ve combined a lifelong interest in “puttering out in the garage” with the visual aspects of the theatre. I use industrial tools to challenge the immutable properties of metal. I carve my designs into aluminum with a hand held plasma cutter, and then coat the aluminum with other metals -- typically copper, bronze, and iron. Each of these metals reacts differently to the chemical patinas and dyes with which I finish the pieces. My work reflects my love of geometry, movement, and color.

While I’ve had no formal art education and no training in metalwork, my experience in Theatre and time spent in the garage provide me with skills which I am constantly expanding through experimentation with designs and processes. I am fortunate to work in a mountain studio surrounded by the natural beauty of Taos, New Mexico, which lends my work a certain quiet and calmness.

Bob Rickard is proudly represented by WICKWIRE fine art/folk art, Hendersonville, North Carolina.