The Still Life

A look at Richard Schmid’s newest book on still life painting

- Richard Schmid

This past October, International Artist magazine was lucky enough to sit down with master painter Richard Schmid to discuss his latest book My Still Life Art, which will be available in mid-November 2019.

International Artist: Please tell me about your new still life book.

Richard Schmid: I decided to write a book about my still life paintings because I have been doing still life ever since I began painting. My development as a young artist was happening so rapidly that I wanted to have a record of my techniques as they occurred and then blended in with newer ways of painting.

IA: How did it come about?

RS: I was exploring aspects of still life that I’d never seen other artists attempt, and I wanted to go beyond the idea that some things are beautiful and others are not. I wanted to show that almost anything is a worthy subject, and that it is only art when I see it as extraordinary no matter how “ordinary” it may otherwise seem.

IA: How do still life paintings fit into your career?