I’m relatively new at painting. I retired four years ago and I took it up mostly for the stimulation of a new challenge. However, the more time I spend painting, the more I’ve come to understand its healing properties. And yes, I need to heal – from stressful jobs, climate change, terrorist threats to our capitol and democracy, and the list goes on.
To be more precise, I find that it’s the act of seeing that is so healing. To observe a scene for its colors, values, and shapes is to see things in a new way. It helps strip away the judgements, preconceived notions, or biases we may want to project onto it. Painting requires us to see the subject for what it is rather than for what we might expect it to be. In that sense it’s a way to get us closer to the truth and observe more deeply the beauty that surrounds us.
Montana is the subject of most of my paintings. I love this state. It’s been good to me and I’ve done my best to be good to Montana. My last two jobs involved taking care of its environment and its most vulnerable citizens. Now I want to spend my time celebrating and honoring its beauty. What better way to do that than to always be on the lookout for another scene to paint and to try to capture at least a portion of that beauty on canvas? Thank you for allowing me to share my work with you.
Richard Opper
