Richard Schmid (October 5, 1934—April 18, 2021) was an American realist artist.

Early career

Richard Schmid's maternal grandfather, Julian Oates, was an architectural sculptor. Richard's initial studies in landscape painting, figure drawing, and anatomy began at the age of twelve and continued into classical techniques under William H. Mosby at the

American Academy of Art The American Academy of Art College is a private art school in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1923 for the education of fine and commercial arts students. The school's Bill L. Parks Gallery is open to the public and features exhibitions ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Career

In 1964 Schmid was the focus of the film ''The Secret Squint'', which was awarded the C.I.N.E. Award. In 1990 Schmid was a finalist for The Hubbard Art Award for Excellence. In 2000, Schmid received the

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and mor ...

Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the American Society of Portrait Artists; and in 2001, Schmid produced a short documentary film, ''An American Portrait: The Senator and the Artist'', in which Schmid interviewed then Senator

James Jeffords James Merrill Jeffords (May 11, 1934 – August 18, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. senator from Vermont. Sworn into the Senate in 1989, he served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become ...

of Vermont, while simultaneously painting his portrait. The retrospective show ''Richard Schmid - A Retrospective Exhibition'' was held at the Butler Institute of American Art in 2003. In May 2005, Schmid received the gold-medal award from The

Portrait Society of America Portrait Society of America is an art organization based in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. Established in 1998, the Portrait Society of America is a 501(C)3 registered charity was set to serve the purpose of an art education organization to ...

. Additional lifetimes awards Schmid has received include the Medal of Honor from the Salmagundi Club of New York City, the $100,000 National Arts for the Parks award, and the American Watercolor Gold Medal. In 2003 he received an honorary doctorate degree from the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. His works are in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution and other major museums. His large painting of Abbotsford House, the home of Scottish poet, novelist, and playwright Sir Walter Scott, was received by Queen Elizabeth II during ceremonies celebrating the reopening of the home in 2012. In 2014 Plein Air magazine, also presented Schmid with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Over his career, his work has been the focus of more than fifty solo exhibitions.

Writing and recording

Schmid was the author of ''Alla Prima, Everything I know about Painting'', an art instruction book first published in 1998. Schmid has also videos and DVDs, some of which feature his personal art instruction in the areas of landscape painting and portrait painting.

Personal life

Schmid lived in New Hampshire with his wife, artist Nancy Guzik.

References

External links

Official WebsiteBiography section on external site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmid, Richard 1934 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American painters American male painters 21st-century American painters Artists from Chicago 20th-century American male artists