Rick Austin, a professional artist born and raised in rural upstate New York, has been painting for over 50 years. After thirty years of Graphic Design and Illustration deadlines, he decided to retire and solely pursue his love of painting. Rick acquired a deep appreciation for nature growing up spending weekends away in the family’s log cabin in the Adirondack Mountains. He enjoys the challenge of painting outdoors - be it landscapes or seascapes. Everything and anything can be a source for his inspiration - saying, “We truly see, when we make a habit of observing.” Rick’s passion is in the style of natural realism, influenced by the 18th century Impressionists and 19th century Tonalists. His lifetime love for the peace and beauty of the natural world is communicated in his oil paintings, his favorite medium. Working with oil as one would work with watercolor, Rick paints a thin transparent glaze that is airy and light. Slowly building layer after layer to achieve a range of tonal effects and values that truly let you feel the moment he is portraying. His atmospheric oil paintings capture the grace, and serenity of some of his favorite places like, the New York Adirondacks, Carolina’s streams and seaside, and New England countryside. Capturing the sensitivity of how nature acts and reacts to life, and the major role that light and shadow play in this drama, are paramount.