All about color and light

“Barn Fun”

Vibrant is a good starting point when describing Rich Schleicher’s bright, colorful landscape paintings. His works’ imagery is undeniably influenced by the great artists of the Impressionism school of art. Think Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet. And Schleicher didn’t even have to go to France, the birthplace of Impressionism in the 1860s, to study it.

“Sunny Harbor”

“For the past 10 years, I have been focused on studying and mastering the Impressionism style of painting taught at The Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Every summer, I go to Provincetown for vacation and paint under John Clayton,” shared Schleicher, who is originally from Cheshire, Connecticut. “Love of landscape and architecture is what drives my creativity.”

The Cape Cod School of Art, founded by Charles Webster Hawthorne in 1899, was the first plein air school established in the United States.

“Provincetown, which is on the tip of Cape Cod, is a scenic town with three art schools and many art galleries,” noted Schleicher. “There are plein air painters in the streets and all along the seacoast. It’s a very inspiring place.”

Schleicher has always been artistic, taking various art classes from elementary through high school. And when it was time for college, he first thought that he would major in art but the reality of making a living changed his mind.

“The Moors Dune”

“I went to Saint Leo University in St. Leo, Florida, where I earned a bachelor’s and a master’s in business. I just stopped doing any art and focused on my career, first in healthcare sales and then real estate,” said Schleicher. “I moved to Ocala, where I met my husband, Jim. We have been together for 33 years, married nine and a half. Together, we bought, renovated and resold houses in Ocala’s historic district. Later, on our vacations around the world, we started collecting art.”

Rich Schleicher

Schleicher also became involved in the Ocala art community and it was a pairing with renowned Ocala artist Margaret Watts 15 years ago that sparked his creative fire again.

“The Marion Cultural Alliance had a fundraising event for works produced by an artist with a non-artist. I got matched with Margaret Watts, who is wonderful, and I painted a lighthouse,” explained Schleicher. “Not long after that, I started taking those summer courses in Provincetown and haven’t stopped painting since. I sold my real estate business in 2022 and now paint full time.”

“Sunny Cottages”

Included in Schleicher’s “A Symphony of Color” current solo exhibit at The Brick Center for the Arts are many paintings of Provincetown scenes. These include “Sunny Cottages,” “The Moors’ Dune,” “Sunny Harbor” and “Barn Fun.”

“First of all, we are taught never to use black since that is not considered a natural color. The process is oil applied with a palette knife to a thin wood board. Using a palette knife keeps your composition loose. I love the colors and creaminess of painting in oil,” explained Schleicher. “As for watercolor and painting with a brush, I’m still learning. But I want my watercolor pieces to still be bright and colorful too. And, of course, no black.”

Schleicher, who has been the chair of the collection committee at the Appleton Museum of Art for six years, has also expanded his artistic resume. He has been taking classes with Tyrus Clutter in cyanotype printing and encaustic (hot wax) painting with Kathleen Warren. Schleicher has created pieces in both mediums and even combined the two for others that will be in his solo exhibit.

Example of cyanotype.

“I’m loving my new chapter and being able to devote myself to my art,” shares Schleicher. “While I like experimenting with new mediums, plein air painting of nature’s vibrant colors and changing light is my passion.”

The Brick City Center for the Arts is located at 23 SW Broadway St. Ocala. “A Symphony of Color” will be on view through Nov. 29. All artworks are available for purchase, with 30% of proceeds benefiting the Marion Cultural Alliance and its community arts programs. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 7, with a chance to meet Schleicher.

To learn more, go to mcaocala.org and find Schleicher on social media.

Rich Schleicher painting.