Meet Artist Rick Short
Hi, my name is Rick Short and welcome to my art gallery, Scenic Earth Studios. We all have a story to tell that is uniquely our own so here is my story about how I became an artist and Creative Director. My creative journey began when I was around 9 years old learning to create with pencils, magic markers, water colors then gradually moving to oil and enamel paint where I painted on every kind of 2-Dimensional surface I could find from paper, canvas, wood to metal. I had an earnest desire to learn how to paint and quickly learned to use oil paints on canvas and Tester's enamel model paint to create paintings on paper and canvas, then learned to use pastels, spray paint and began to create paintings of the ocean, surfing and marine art, sunsets and western art that I still love creating today.
Growing up, my family never encouraged me to work on my art. If anything they did their best to keep me from it. So, I decided to take the math and science route that is often pushed in schools today and embarked on a career in Information Technology working for big companies such as Walt Disney World, Kemper National Insurance and Deloitte Consulting. However, It did not take me long to discover that having a background in art gave me an advantage as a UX Designer, Web Designer and eventual Subject Matter Expert in the field of Web Accessibility.
My friends and my wife were always the ones that encouraged me to continue painting. When I started winning first and second prize awards at local art shows, my parents took notice and suddenly, they were not opposed to my creative hobbies, especially when they bring in $1000.00 for a second place prize. My wife was always my biggest fan and cheerleader and she always accompanied me at my art shows, one man exhibits and group shows. When my wife passed away from cancer, I lost my best friend but found myself dreaming of Heaven and the life she is living there so as a way of still being with her, I began painting images of Heaven and of her in Heaven. When these paintings showed up at her mother's nursing home, the nurses and staff were definitely moved by what they saw.
Once the grieving process finally came to an end over my wife's passing away, I found myself dreaming of painting again and that internal drive enabled me to pick up my brush again and also create wood working, furniture, digital art and 3D Art work. Besides wanting to create images of Heaven, I longed to create images of my birds that lived in my house as well as the Wildlife birds that lived in my back yard, Southwest Art and children's art even more. I live in a home surrounded by Wildlife including Turkeys that come up to the house to eat bird seed, dozens of beautiful birds, Bears, Foxes, Peacocks, Owls and other wildlife. So being able to photograph and paint these neighboring animals just fueled my passion to create and share these images the world as well as keep close to my heart.
When I look back at some of the art shows that I have exhibited over the last 25 years, I realize something that Pastor Tony Evans once said. He too had lost his wife to cancer but what he said was that with Jesus, your best years are ahead, not behind. So this website is not just my life's work, it is an extension of me and my dreams brought to life. I hope to create my best work yet to honor Jesus, The Creator of all things and to honor my wife whose work is done here in this life but continues to cheer me on from Heaven to run the race and press on, to make the world a more beautiful place and encourage others to do the same.