C. Ford Riley’s paintings, rich in detail and dramatic in color, reflect a deeply personal relationship with nature. One of the premiere southern habitat painters of his generation, he is also an ardent sportsman and conservationist who rallies on behalf of Florida wildlife and habitat threatened by excessive development.Praised as the “Audubon of the 1980’s”, Ford’s paintings work because he paints what he knows. As a native of Jacksonville, Florida, he has spent much of his life studying birds and their environment, documenting the birds’ habits and unique habitats. This collection of field notes and sketches serves as an extensive source of ongoing material for his paintings. “I’ve been walking amongst these woods, these scenes, all my life. I grew up near the marsh, studying birds. I still love to watch them, to paint them. I know trees, and I know the landscape, and I believe that everything in art should look like its truest form. I understand the natural order of things here; I paint realistically because I understand the land.”“I paint what I’m familiar with. If I can’t smell it or feel it, I can’t conceivably paint it. I paint my area – the South. I was born and raised in Florida, and I spent most of my life studying the patterns of the seasons and the wildlife here. In order to paint sky or living water, you’ve got to understand it and know it and feel it – like it’s your best friend.”Each painting begins as a series of drawings and studies which he develops into works that combine realism with the artist’s impressions of the natural setting. “I create illusion. Once I actually start painting, the composition evolves through a series of washes, layers of color to achieve the look I want. At first glance, my work gives the appearance of realism. Upon closer scrutiny, you’ll see that I employ a multitude of brush strokes which are probably more commonly associated with impressionism.”