Rick Kom - May - The Purple Pomegranate

The Purple Pomegranate, a fine craft specialty store, is featuring work by Kalispell artist, Rick Kom during the month of May. Rick learned to draw from his father at an early age. Growing up in northern Idaho, he learned to love its abundant wildlife and natural beauty. He now lives minutes from Glacier National Park with his wife, Shannon, and their two dogs, Koko and Ollie. A self-taught artist, Rick developed a technique in watercolors, clayboard, acrylics, and colored pencil that captures in deepest detail the eyes, fur, and feathers of his beloved animal subjects.

Rick is passionate about meticulously detailed wildlife art. His unique clayboard technique is quite similar to scrimshaw on ivory. Nothing but a sewing needle is used to intricately etch a black India ink surface revealing a layer of white Kaolin clay underneath. Opaque watercolors are then gently brushed into the exposed clay lines, giving his animal subjects a life like appearance.

Meet Rick during Whitefish Gallery Night, Thursday, May 5th, 2011 from 6-9 PM. Rick’s work will be displayed during the opening and throughout the month of May.