Artist’s landscapes inspired by state
by Carol Vanpell
reporter

   On a recent trip home to Amarillo on Highway 287, Richard Scott Parker, NW art teacher, saw the Texas landscape with a brand new perspective.
   The road trip inspired him to paint a series of abstract landscapes that depict the small towns and farms that line the highway.
   The paintings are oil on canvas and convey Parker’s memories of growing up in Amarillo that he says are sometimes happy, sometimes sad and sometimes lonely.
   Eight abstract landscape paintings of real “places in the heart” are showcased on the NW    Campus in the WFAB Northwest Lakeview Gallery through March 27.
   Sponsored by the NW department of fine arts and languages, this one-person exhibit is free and open to the public.
   Parker teaches art appreciation, drawing I and II and painting I and II.
   Parker says his teaching philosophy is to give students a diverse but sound base of technical, historical and creative thinking ability.
   “ The cornerstone of my teaching philosophy is that the exchange of ideas in the classroom must be conducted under the shelter of a positive working environment,” he said.
   Parker uses les-sons he learned from Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom to establish a mutually respectful relationship with each student.
   “ Everyone should take time to appreciate art, be open minded and learn to feel because art affects the heart, soul and mind,” he said.
   Parker had advice for students who choose art as a career.
   “ Develop a strong work ethic; keep your nose to the grindstone; don’t give up, and remember that you must also be a business person to be successful,” he said.
   Parker holds a B.A. in painting from UT-Arlington and an M.F.A. in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
   After one of his professors suggested he try the abstract style of painting, Parker says he soon realized it was the logical, next level after the traditional, representational style. Now, he prefers the abstract style.
   “It [abstract style] makes more sense, and it is easier to capture the ‘essence’ of memories,” he said.
   Parker has a natural affinity for Texas landscapes.
   “I grew up in Amarillo and have always felt a powerful connection to the Texas landscape. Texas offers a variety of colors emanating from the earth,” he said.
   The colors of the Texas nature appeal to Parker’s artistic eye.
   “Agriculture, natural minerals, wild grasses, and the ever-changing sky color make a beautiful palette. Colors such as terra-cotta, pink, orange and violet strikingly add to the palette of the earth,” he said.
   Some people might think of the landscape around Amarillo as stark and desolate.
   Parker sees it differently and says he paints with his heart and soul to reveal the hidden energy that is just below the surface.
   “The crops are separated into unique geometric patterns by fence lines, natural terrain and roads. The combination of these elements creates a fantastic pattern on the sharply flat ground,” he said.
   Parker portrays the familiar places in a whole new light by combining the aerial perspective of the geometric patterns with the view from the ground.
“Working from memory of powerful colors operating on geometries that seem to crash into  one another, I paint the essence of the land in my mind,” he said.
   “ Using the landscape as a catalyst to evoke passion and as a well of formal elements, I paint a work as much about the land as myself.”
   Parker is featured at the Craighead-Green Gallery in Dallas. To view the gallery online, visit craigheadgreen.com.
   For more information about the NW exhibit, call 817-515-7207.