Richard Rick Lorenz

My earliest drawings as a toddler were of birds and flying. Indeed, I drew every kind of bird imaginable. Self-taught, working mostly in oils, I consumed the works of Audubon and other notable ornithologists both past and present. “In the realm of all things symbolic…birds and feathers have held a certain fascination for me. My series – ‘BE THE BIRD’ – is a whimsical bird’s eye view…of the real you. I have no formal training in art except for my weekly rendezvous with Bob Ross from the local PBS access on Saturday mornings. It was his show that inspired me to pursue painting. I saved my allowance till the day I was able to purchase my first painting kit. My latest challenge has been learning to paint digitally. I am completely inspired to this day by watching young people paint in this new painting medium. That’s right…YouTube is how I have learned digital painting! Each and every painting starts in my head and from there my original sketches become the final painting. It can be said there’s a continual movie playing in my mind. A movie that has meaning and purpose to be heard while at the same time bleeds through each stoke of the stylus. Digital painting is a medium I was quite apprehensive about because I am a little old school and at first did not understand the process. It has been a huge learning curve to say the least. However, looking back now and learning how to manipulate virtual paint as I would physical paint has been an exciting adventure. I have learned how to apply the same old master techniques as I would with physical paints. This new medium was necessary due to health issues caused by exposure to paint. THERE IS A MESSAGE TO MY MADNESS! I created my ‘be the bird’ series as a reminder that each Bird is unique. There is not another Bird quite like you. You are one of a kind. You are here on purpose…for a purpose. There are no mistakes. What ever your perceived challenges are, remember these are the opportunities that define you…that make you unique. It seems to be the most difficult thing these days (especially young people…of all ages), to find the real YOU…the person buried beneath the turmoil of this world. Our society seems hell bent on determining who you are through whatever means possible: TV, radio, social media, internet, music, peer pressure, social, Geo-political, gender, work, religion, ethnic propaganda…and the list goes on. We are so bombarded each and every moment of each and ever day about who we should be, look like, sound like, what we should eat, how we should dress. Yes, some of us may have totally forgotten (or have never known) who we really are! The beginning of all ‘Truth’ is to know ones self. Who do you think you are!? My paintings of ‘Birdz’ are of you guys! I love watching (Bird watching) people in their natural habitat, going about their perceived ‘normal’ existence, unaware of the inspiration I receive from them on a daily basis. There is always that one Bird that stands out from the flock. This is the Bird not afraid to spread her/his wings. You know the one…big feathers, lots of color, quirky, a bit messy, insecure, but facing the world head on with an unwavering determination to be ‘Real’. These are the Birdz I love too paint. The ones who make us believe that no matter what the circumstances, no matter the limitations, we all have the potential to fly above the madness and discover the real, authentic Bird that lives inside. “Remember, no matter what your perceived challenges are in this life, it’s all an illusion. Embrace who you are…perfect in every way. Shrug off the labels, contempt, value and worth put upon you by someone else. Find your feathers, live your Truth, and most of all – ‘BE THE BIRD’!”