Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricky Dean Wyrick.
Ricky, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey has been quite an adventure. And like many artistic entrepreneurs, I have reinvented my business several times. I started in the over saturated market of portrait photography and quickly discovered the difficulty of competing with novice hobbyist willing to take pictures without concern for turning a profit. It seems everywhere I turned, I discovered people who inevitably knew a friend with a camera.
I know several professional photographers who have had success photographing weddings, but I quickly discovered that the wedding industry was just not the place for me. I’m just too laid back and prefer to work in a stress-free environment.
So I started focusing on real estate photography. While I found moderate success shooting houses, I was surprised at the number of realtors who fail to understand the value of professional marketing imagery. Why any home owner would hire a realtor who is unwilling to invest in professional quality marketing images, is beyond me. If they aren’t going to market the property with descent photographs, why bother hiring a realtor in the first place?
Photographing houses and doing the occasional portrait has strengthened my skills with a camera, but it just hasn’t been enough to capture my imagination and nourish my need for creativity. So I naturally turned to fine art photography and eventually started exploring a new approach for creating my own unique form of art.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Nothing worthwhile simply happens without effort, and my exploration to find my creative voice has been a challenging one. Unsatisfied with the limitations of capturing beautiful imagery within the camera, I started exploring the world of digital art. Today’s technology enables us to play within a realm limited only by the imagination of the artist. So my journey became a playful exploration of my imagination. And I fell in love with creating art.
I eventually found myself altering my original photographs into digital art that resembled traditional paintings. I had drawn and painted back when I was in college many years ago, and I’ve always liked the beautiful soft elements you find in oil paintings.
I got really excited when I discovered I could print my digital images on canvas and further complete the look and feel of a genuine oil painting, but something was missing. The texture was not right.
I encountered an art teacher who took the time to evaluate my digital canvases and she unknowingly gave me an idea that would be a game changer for my art business. When she first viewed my canvases she immediately recognized them as prints because of their smooth surfaces. I had done such an amazing job digitally making my photographs look like paintings that she made the assumption that my canvases were digital prints of photographed paintings. I was a little confused when she asked if she could see my original paintings. After I explained that these were my originals and that I had digitally manipulated photographs, she complimented me on my compositions but explained that I should be painting with real paint instead of using a computer. Painting by hand would cause the art to be one of a kind and more valuable.
I didn’t want to abandon the process I was only beginning to master. I had spent years sharpening my photography and digital art skills. But what if I tried painting on top of my canvases. Maybe she was on to something. It had been years since I had picked up a paintbrush, so I went to my local hobby store and bought some paint.
Again, I started these processes of exploration. Trying different paints and brush techniques, I stumbled across the final step of my process. The painted brush strokes enhanced my images with such vibrancy; it gave them the texture they were missing.
I started entering my art into various contest and was pleasantly surprised when I began winning awards. No one had ever seen art quite like mine. From a distance, people tend to assume they are photographs, but when they get closer, they see the brushstrokes and are amazed at the use of color and the perceived dimensional elements of the work.
Although it is time consuming, I have discovered the secret is working in multiple layers. I now wind up digitally drawing the image multiple times and merging these multiple under painting back into a single digital proof. Once the digital proof is printed on the canvas, I begin the process of painting over it traditionally with acrylic paint.
Of course as I started to sell my art, I soon discovered that marketing art holds its own set of challenges. So out of necessity, I have had to become an expert in so many different things.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As an award-winning artist, I now create high end works of art utilizing my proprietary multi-layered process. My hand-painted digital originals convey elements of peaceful beauty while each telling a story that touches the soul. I am known for my custom work where I start my process with one of my client’s photos, turning their photo into a beautifully composed hand-crafted painting. I can often work from a cell phone photo and have completed various subject matters like a family portrait, the family pet or even a vacation photo. I realize there are websites out there that turn photos into paintings, but one of the things that set me apart is that I am offering a premium service from a known artist, myself. I hope and anticipate that as I continue my art career my work will continue to escalate in value, and as my work becomes more prominent in the art world, my signature will add more value to my previous paintings. Of course, the biggest thing that makes my art unique is the stunning, multi-layered process that gives my work its dimensional dynamic presence.
Like any artist, I feel successful every time I sell a piece of art. But I have to remind myself that success comes in many different ways. Sometimes it’s winning an award for one of my canvases. Other times it’s just simply being invited to display my work in a gallery. My biggest rewards come when I eavesdrop on someone seeing my work for the first time. There is nothing more satisfying for an artist than hearing a genuine “Wow! This is amazing!” The real challenge is turning those “Wows!” into a full-time income.
What were you like growing up?
I was an outgoing creative type kid. I loved playing outside, but loved watching movies and playing video games even more. My parents often encouraged my brother and I to be creative. So my childhood was filled with finger paints and other crafts. As a teenager, I learned to play bass guitar and performed in several bands. From sports to musical instruments, I had an active childhood.
Pricing:
- Mention Voyage Dallas and recieve a 20% discount on 2017 custom commisioned art.
Contact Info:
- Address: 320 S Clark Rd,
Suite E, Cedar Hill, TX 75104 - Website: handpainteddigitalart.com
- Email: rickydeanwyrick@att.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickydeanwyrick
Image Credit:
Ricky Dean Wyrick
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