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RICK'S BIO
Rick grew up in the Mississippi
Delta where the summers are hot and long, the cotton grows waist high, the
land is flat like a pancake, where the blues was born, and where southern
hospitality is a virtue. Some people think that there is "Magic" in the
south. Whether this is true or not, it is where Rick began his love of art
which continues today.
After high school, he attained his
master’s degree in Art Education from Delta State University, and began his
teaching career in 1975 in Mississippi. After teaching for 25 years, Rick
retired from the classroom to continue working as a professional artist.
Throughout his professional art career, Rick has exhibited throughout the
United States, has won over 150 awards in local, regional, and national
exhibitions, and his work is in both private and corporate collections.
In 2003 Rick illustrated his first
children’s book, "M is for Magnolia; a Mississippi Alphabet,"
published by Sleeping Bear Press, an imprint of Thomson-Gale.
This was a wonderful opportunity for Rick to travel throughout his beloved
state, discovering and re-discovering things about Mississippi, a beautiful
state that has produced world renowned writers as well as artists.
His other books are:
N is
for Natural State, an Arkansas Alphabet; P is for Passport, a World
Alphabet; 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, a Mississippi Numbers
Book; "Natural
Numbers, an Arkansas Number Book
published by Sleeping Bear Press, and Racecar
Driver's Night Before Christmas and Christmas Stories by
The South's Best Writers
published by Pelican Publishing.
A professional speaker and literacy
advocate, Rick conducts "Illustrator School Visits" not only throughout the
southeast, but has recently been invited to schools in Wisconsin,
Washington, DC, West Virginia, and Florida. A member of the International Reading
Association, Rick is often a featured speaker at reading conventions,
children's book festivals and fairs, and other literacy events. He is also
available as an art consultant to develop or revise the art curriculum on
all levels. Rick conducts teacher in-service workshops to include "Art Across The
Curriculum" and emphasizes the importance of the arts in schools, " Art
Illustration and Poetry", "So, You Want to Illustrate Children's Books?" ,
and others. He lives in Clinton, Mississippi,
with his wife Merrie, who is the librarian at Clinton Junior High. They have
one son, Denman, a professional actor, currently residing in Washington, DC.
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