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| Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in progress Oil on Canvas 60” x 48” |
An artist’s vision can manifest in a myriad of ways, and
their creative journey is usually guided by that vision. The unique way that
they choose to express themselves is often what captivates the viewing
audience, and leaves them seeking understanding. Every artist is not able to
translate their inner vision, but for Tia Richardson, her ability to execute
her ideas came at a young age.
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Goddess (Portrait
of Marisa)
Colored Pencil on Bristol Vellum 11” x 14”
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Richardson was born in Milwaukee, WI, and lived in
surrounding cities in Wisconsin throughout her childhood. Her first memories of
creating were with her father. She remembers at age nine sitting down to draw
pictures out of a book with him. As a talented artist, her father encouraged
her to draw portraits, and it was through his coaching and support that she was
able to recognize her gift. She began creating consistently through elementary and
junior high school, and in the summer she would take art classes. Art seemed
like an inevitable path for Richardson, but by the time she reached high school,
her interest in creating began to wane.
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| Portrait of Chuck Rhodes Oil on Canvas 48” x 60” |
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Wedding Portrait
Oil on Canvas 22” x 28”
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Richardson found her high school years to be very challenging, and though she created sporadically, she found herself dealing with more pressing teenage issues. Even as she grew out of her teenage years, she was still trying to find her place in the world, and with that came emotional imbalances. Richardson said that she never wanted to fit in, but she did want to be accepted for who she was, and she could not find that during those times. The emotional chaos that she was experiencing prevented her from creating, and she was only able to complete 1-2 finished pieces per year.
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Woman of the
Violet Waters
Oil on Canvas 48” x 60”
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Chakra Tree
Oil on Canvas 12” x 24”
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In her early twenties, and at the encouragement of her
parents, she began to sell prints of the pieces that she had completed years
before. She sold them at festivals around the Milwaukee area. Richardson says that at that point in
her life, she did not have a strong personal motivation, despite having a
vision and support. She had studied at the school of the arts in Milwaukee, and
was accepted into MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design). Eventually she
would transfer to the University of Milwaukee-Stout, and finally to MATC (Milwaukee
Area Technical College) where she would receive a degree in graphic design. For
Richardson, school and formality did not intrigue her, because she always felt
that her purpose was even greater. Upon graduation in 2003, she started her company
Cosmic Butterfly Design, which focuses on commissioned art and design.
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| Isis of the Spheres Oil on Canvas 24” x 12” |
As a highly spiritual person, Richardson always felt guided,
as if there was a higher spirit directing her path. After coming through a
nearly ten year hiatus of not creating art regularly, she began to feed her
soul again through creativity.
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Isis of Heaven
and Earth
Oil on Canvas 24” x 48"
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Her goal when creating is to evoke a sense of beauty, not just aesthetically beautiful pieces, but pieces that, “move the soul,” and
comes from a place that is beyond her, a place, that she says, "we can all connect to.”
She achieves that goal by using specific colors in her pieces that induce a
mood. The delicate way that she handles colors makes her paintings seem otherworldly, and conjures up feelings of tranquility. Richardson says that listening to music that moves her connects her more
to her art, and helps to influence her color choices and the disposition of the
paintings.
Her current medium of choice is water-mixable oils with an acrylic
base. She says her love for the medium developed over the last several years,
and finding better quality water-mixable oil paints helped her appreciate the medium
even more. Although she enjoys oil, she is skilled in a variety of mediums
including colored pencil, pastel, and acrylic.
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| Tree of Life (mural) Acrylic on masonite 6' x 16' |
Richardson’s most recent ventures keep her away from the
easel more often, but they affect the community in a positive way. She is
currently creating collaborative murals with high school and middle school
children in the community. With her guidance and assistance, students have been
able to complete nearly 30 murals in the last three years throughout the city
of Milwaukee. Currently she works with Milwaukee Public Theatre and Arts at
Large to bring her murals to life. She is making an indelible impact on the
lives of students in the community.
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| Reality Check Coalition Neighborhood Empowerment Mural.
Location: Magic Foods Liquor Store, Milwaukee, WI. Collaborative Mural with
high-schoolers from North Division Boys and Girls Clubs CLC. Acrylic on Medium Density Overlay Board (MDO) 12'x8' |
Presently she has no upcoming exhibitions, but she continues
to create when she has the urge to do so. She’s been an explorative artist for
the last several years, and has been using that time to discover new ideas and
concepts. Richardson says that she is inspired to create a cohesive body of
work that speaks to her interests, but she wants it to happen organically. She
hopes to create works that help to transform people, and she sees her art becoming a therapeutic
vessel for healing. In the meantime, she nurtures her skills by doing
commissions and by working with the children on murals.
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| Artist Tia Richardson working on the “Tree of Life” collaborative mural in Milwaukee, WI Acrylic on masonite 6' x 16' |
She leaves positive words of enlightenment:
“Relationships are
critical, seek out mentors, and find people who are where you want to be.”
“Stay true to what it is you are feeling…to who you are
authentically, and surround yourself that those who support you.”
Tia Richardson 2012
If you would like to learn more about this artist please visit facebook.com/cosmicbutterflydesign. You can also reach her via email tiachianti@gmail.com.
All images are © copyrighted by the artist unless otherwise noted. Images cannot be reproduced without permission of the artist.
Cultured Artists™ ©2012
