Cottonwood Art Festival has selected Richard Lorenz as the featured artist for the 51st semi-annual show in Richardson, Texas. Jurors chose from more than 240 artists, competing in 14 categories, and Lorenz’s artistic appeal of birds seem to soar this season. The Spring 2020 festival artwork spreads its wings with a lively image of a wide-eyed, white feathered creature that Lorenz named, “Floyd the Fabulous.”
“I was inspired to create Floyd the Fabulous while visiting the Circus Museum in Sarasota, Fla.,” explained Lorenz. “The experience left me wanting to create a circus theme with one of my birds.”
“It’s a high honor to be the featured artist for Cottonwood Art Festival, as it is one of the top shows in the nation,” Lorenz said.
Over the past couple of decades Lorenz has collected many accolades, including the winning entry of the Louisiana Duck Stamp Contest, and consistent recognition at top art shows around the country. Lorenz and his wife, Tina Louise Willis-Lorenz, met in 1999, married in 2003 and now have a family of five children and six grandchildren. Together they created Silent Echoes Studio to collaborate and exhibit year round in the galleries and fine art venues from coast to coast.
“T’Louise was a staff writer for a local paper that asked me for an interview. I declined but she insisted,” he said. “We were friends for three years before we actually went out on our first date. The rest was history.”
There is only one bird quite like Lorenz, and his “Be The Bird” series is a whimsical bird’s eye view of virtually painted images. Digital paintings translate the physical properties of traditional painting into a virtual representation.
“I’ve painted in oils and acrylics for over 30 years but have grown sensitive to the chemicals in the paints. Since painting is all I know, I had to find a different way to paint,” explains Lorenz. “Digital painting was the answer and a steep learning curve for this self-taught artist. I’m still learning and enjoying the creative process.”
Cottonwood Art Festival is May 2-3, 2020 at Cottonwood Park located at 1321 W. Belt Line Road in Richardson, Texas. Admission is free and the festival is open Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, May 3, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The festival additionally includes two stages of live music, a craft beer garden, food trucks, painting demonstrations, children’s art stations and more than 200 artist booths with artwork from around the world.