American Art Collector – August 2019

141

ARTIST FOCUS

ARTIST FOCUS

Chuck

Larivey

A

ccording to Chuck Larivey,
“Sometimes we surprise ourselves
and take little diversions from our norm,
our main substance, and pursue a new
tasty treat. Art is like that! Last year while
painting a few koi in a lily pond, a recipe
I know well became the blueprint for a
mystical fantasy world without humans.
The mysterious and illusive Sirens of
the sea, mermaids. Creatures from our
illustrious seafaring folklore.”
The big question for Larivey was if
there would be mermen, and of course,
he would include them as “fearsome
protectors of their mates.” Larivey says
this suggests that a key component
to the series would be courtship. The
fi rst painting of the new works was Her
Guardian, which “suggested an exposed
primitive and perhaps violent world,” the
artist explains. “After all fi sh eat fi sh.”
Soon he left that idea behind in favor of
a more romantic theme. “First, I wanted
to explore the creatures themselves. What
would they look like as individuals, and
as pairs engaged in ritual courtships?” he
says. “A good subject or series will develop
a storyline with the ability to expand with
time. There are exploratory paintings,
sometimes called studies, that lead or
culminate to one or more major works and
then pause. I found pauses were necessary

to keep any concept fresh. The fi rst pause

lasted eight months when I began thinking

about settings for my mer-creatures, a

learning curve ensued and settled down to

a theme of ‘Under Lily Pads,’ courtship and

romance. It’s my hope that essence will be

felt by the viewing audience.”

Larivey’s new collection can be seen

at Richard Stravitz Sculpture & Fine Art

Galleries in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Want to See More?

(619) 820-4031 | http://www.chucklarivey.com

Represented by Richard Stravitz

Sculpture & Fine Art Galleries

1217 Laskin Road | Virginia Beach, VA 23451

(757) 305-9411 | http://www.stravitzartgallery.com

@chucklarivey

Pairing Off , oil on linen, 36 x 40"

Far left:

Her Curtsy, oil on

linen, 24 x 24"

Left:

Spring Flirtations,

oil on linen,

44 x 48"