Richard McKinley Works

Richard McKinley has been a professional working artist for 40 years and has over 35 years of teaching experience. He believes working very closely with nature “en plein air,” on location has led to a much greater appreciation of the natural world. “Photography, a useful tool, is not a substitute for being there and becoming a part of the exchange of nature, eye and mind. Light is the motivating factor - - without it there would be nothing.” Richard was born in the Rogue Valley of Oregon and spent his youth growing up with the rivers and mountains that form this special place. It is from these subjects that he receives inspiration. “My goal is to capture a piece of the spontaneous dance of light across the palette of nature. Working on location forces me to get in touch with the moment, allowing no time for detailed studies of things. Most of my time now is divided between painting in places I adore, like New Mexico and the central coast of California and Oregon. McKinley has received over two hundred individual awards and honors since 1974 and has appeared in numerous publications. He is a nationally recognized artist and highly collected. He is represented by galleries in Mendocino, California; Jackson, Wyoming; Bordentown City, New Jersey; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and the Mockingbird Gallery, in Bend, Oregon.