artist
riece walton was born in 1969 and has created art almost from the beginning of his life. As a small boy, he worked with the tools available to him: an ice bucket of crayon pieces, Big Chief pads, Lego building blocks. As he matured in south Louisiana in the '70s and '80s, he was drawn to vibrant palettes and expressive techniques, always building to a career in art. He was encouraged toward this goal by his elementary school art teacher, Lloyd Sensat, and the mentoring relationship ultimately evolved into friendship.
While attending Pensacola Junior College majoring in Studio Art, Riece decided to devote himself fully to art. Since then, he has been selected to exhibit in the Artel Cinco Banderas jury show and recently had a design selected for the Pensacola News Journal "Pelicans in Paradise" public exhibit.
His paintings have been informed by the old masters, Rembrandt and Caravaggio, and by popular modern artists, Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, and James Michalopoulos. Their influences are felt in Riece's kinetic canvases, choice of subjects, and deliberate use of color. His work can transport the art lover back to the first day of summer vacation, awakening those feelings of freedom and possibility we remember so well.
Riece's subject matter centers around food, drink, and Southern culture. Sugar cane fields, food still lifes, timeworn buildings, and Mardi Gras parades give freedom to create using figure, color, or line. He hopes to put the viewer in the middle of the scene to experience it firsthand--to hear the rustle of the cane, smell the briny oyster liquor, and feel the powdery brick of the heat of the flambeaux on your face on a chilly winter night parade.
Riece's wish for himself is to grow into his art. His wish for us is that we share his joie de vivre and learn to appreciate beauty in our everyday lives.
St. Charles Parish Article [PDF]