Richard Wallich is an American impressionist who uses swirls and dabs of paint to create dazzling array of brightly-colored images. He knew he wanted to become a painter by the time he was 9 years old. He has spent more than forty years and many hours developing and practicing his technique. His artwork ranges fro sports scenes to landscapes. Wallich got attracted to impressionism because of his desire to paint spontaneously and quickly. He first tried realism, but found the style was consuming too much of his time. Wallich is noted for his use of emotion evoking, vibrant colors. He studied art in high school and at Eastern Illinois University. After graduation, he went to the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he studied figure drawing. He then went to work as a graphic designer, but never gave up the dream of becoming a painter.
The use of color is very personal for him, and he says painting with lots of color brings him satisfaction and joy. Wallich started using a palette knife and adopted an impressionistic approach, which he has enhanced and refined over the years. He later moved to Rhode Island where he took part in several large art fairs and his father-in-law helped him in selling some of his paintings. His next stop was San Diego where he did several commissions while working as a commercial artist. In 1987, Wallich moved to Colorado and started a company creating helmets, hand-painted apparel, footballs and for the National Football League. He received commissions from the Major League Baseball, the Kentucky Derby, and resorts across the country.
