Have you ever asked yourself, why art? Since I was a child I’ve been compelled to express my life experiences through the visual arts. In fact all the arts have been utilized at one time or another. It seems to me that its been an attempt on my part to connect with others in a deeper sense, a profound universality of sorts. Recently I’ve had several occasions that have given me hope that it has been the case, at least for some.
In December 2025, I discovered this message in comments on my Instagram account today. Wanted to share because it was reassuring to know others 'Get Me'.
"Lovely in its intensity, your work channels expression with raw honesty, capturing emotion in a way that feels immediate and uncompromising. It is deeply evocative, allowing color, form, and gesture to speak directly to the viewer’s emotional core."
~Daniel Freaker, Portsmouth, U.K.
on this piece, Color Study #198, ‘Cabin’ 12”x12” oil
Another happening was when I painted a Holly leaf piece just after Thanksgiving 2025. Soon after I was contacted by an old high school mate asking for the details on it. He purchased it and I shipped it to him in Arizona. On New Years Day I saw in a FB post that Steve had passed on December 26th 2025, the day after Christmas. I wrote back in regards
This breaks my heart. I didn't know Steve well, but we were classmates and had several classes together, mostly English. With FB & social media, I've found myself reconnecting with family & friends. As it turned out 35+ years later we had more in common than realized, back in h.s. As an artist. I had painted a holly leaf piece, just after Thanksgiving, he had just purchased and received it on December 11th. He was happy, focused and in communication with me looking for the best place to hang it. He messaged me~
"I've retrieved it, and it's even lovelier than in the pictures you posted.
“Will do. I think (italicized) that I'm going to hang it near my desk so I can look at it repeatedly throughout the day.”
“The lighting in the space I had originally imagined it in is not good and doesn't show off the color and texture to its best advantage. When I figure out the best place for it and get it hung, I'll send you a photo.”
Thank you again!" ~Steve Y.
I find myself in a full on sob and I hope it had spoke to heart & mind. Peace, love & light, my friend.
And since then I’ve wondered why he had been compelled to acquire the piece, as he had been so ill for a few years and feel it must have spoke to his heart, an emotion and that we had connected.
Sometimes its in more basic ways, like the common love of an artist, Van Gogh, nature, a wheat field, a bird, the crow.
One of my collectors contacted me, regarding a piece on my website, “American Crow Homage’,
“Hope you are well... was just curious for a little more information on these pieces.” then
” This one reminds me so much of my favorite Van Gogh.” Travis W.
I responded~ “Van Gogh has been one of my life long loves and influences. Across the street from me was once a farm and every fall the crows would feed on its harvest. I created a patch in the foreground to give it a center.
Thanks for your interest in my work.” With that we chose a frame, he acquired it and shipped it out.
Interestingly others chimed in feeling and resonating a similar vibe. One was one of my longtime collectors who first acquired one of my artworks over 20 years ago. She has commissioned me to paint a somewhat smaller variation of the piece, for our common love of crows.
Its these and other similar connection that keep me going, compelled further to create those things of utter connection.
"Art, whether abstract or representational, like the night sky, invites us to imagine, participate and create stories. As we view and gaze endlessly, subtle changes in our perception and vision transform what we see, at the speed of light, in our mind's eye." ~Richard Sperry
“Richard Sperry, an American artist residing in Saint Charles, Illinois, paints his life as he experiences it. He defies categorization as merely an abstract painter, a landscapist, or a figurative artist. Instead, he finds inspiration in both internal and external mechanisms, compelling him to depict his thoughts, emotions, experiences, and existence itself through his art.
Sperry's paintings serve as a personal diary, catalog, and chronology of his life's events, reflecting six decades of personal and artistic growth. Each of the contemporary/abstract pieces are meticulously crafted, starting with an acrylic paint base and then layered with oil paint, oil pastel, ebony pencil, charcoal, oil stick, and 18k gold paint and leaf. The presence of the 18k leaf and an infinity symbol across his artworks serves as his signature, a trademark that distinguishes his work.
Through his unique artistic process and autobiographical expressions, Richard Sperry invites viewers into his intimate world, where every stroke carries the weight of his life's journey and the depth of his artistic vision.” -Circle Foundation for the Arts
Color Study #198, ‘Cabin’ 12”x12” oil
‘Holly Leaves’ 6”x6” oil in private collection
;American Crow Homage’ 31.5”x31.5” framed oil in private collection.