An artist’s life in harmony—told through family photos, paintings, memories, and music!
Throughout a prolific career that included fifty one-man shows, Richard Schmid championed art education through his books, articles, workshops, seminars, and television presentations. He traveled extensively for inspiration and subjects, always seeking to share his knowledge and passion. Richard held a Doctorate in Fine Art and was honored with the John Singer Sargent Medal for Lifetime Achievement.
Following the publication of his landmark book Landscapes in 2009, Richard embarked on several major projects. In 2011, he completed a large-scale painting of Abbotsford House—the historic home of Sir Walter Scott in Melrose, Scotland—which received a private viewing and praise from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth during the estate’s grand reopening ceremonies.
That same year, Richard began work on an expanded edition of his instructional classic book Alla Prima. The result, Alla Prima II, was published in 2013 and is now in its seventh printing.
Additional exhibitions of his work were held at the National Academy of Sciences on Cape Cod and at Wellesley College in Boston.
Throughout his life as a painter, author, and teacher, Richard remained a passionate advocate for the Grand Manner in art—a distinctive blend of technical virtuosity and unrestrained joy. He passed away peacefully at the age of 86 on April 18, 2021. He is survived by his wife, artist Nancy Guzik, his three daughters: Bettina, Gretchen, and Molly Schmid, and three grandchildren – Lauren, Sammantha, and Ian.
Yes! Richard Schmid received his formal art education at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Illinois, where he began studying at the age of 18. There, he trained in the classical academic tradition under William Mosby, a revered instructor and former student of the Royal Academy in Belgium. Mosby emphasized rigorous training in drawing, anatomy, and perspective—skills that became the foundation of Richard’s extraordinary technical ability.
During this formative period, Richard was also deeply influenced by the landscape painter Gianni Cilfone, whose expressive brushwork and plein air approach left a lasting impression on him. These early mentors shaped not only Richard’s technique but also his philosophy of painting from life with honesty, intention, and joy.
This blend of classical training and naturalistic observation became the hallmark of Richard Schmid’s work and would later inform the teachings he shared in his books, workshops, and public demonstrations.
No, Alla Prima wasn’t Richard Schmid’s first book—although it’s the one that most people know him for.
His first book, Richard Schmid Paints the Figure: Advanced Techniques in Oil, was published in the early 1970s. It was based on live figure painting sessions and emphasized classical oil painting techniques. Although not widely distributed, it has become a prized resource among serious painters and is now a rare collector’s item.
His second book, Richard Schmid Paints Landscapes, was published in 1975. Unlike the later video, Richard Schmid Paints the Landscape – June, this book wasn’t tied to a single painting demonstration or season. Instead, it explored the broader practice of plein air landscape painting, featuring a wide variety of scenes, including several striking winter landscapes. It showcased Richard’s evolving approach to working directly from nature, offering insight into his process, composition, and use of light.
Richard Schmid’s favorite medium—without question—was oil paint.
He devoted his entire professional career to mastering oil painting and consistently used it for both studio and plein air work. Oil paint offered him the flexibility, richness, and subtlety he needed to explore form, atmosphere, and light with extraordinary nuance. It also suited his direct painting approach (alla prima), which he championed and helped bring to the forefront of contemporary realism.
While he did explore and enjoy working with other mediums (like pencil, watercolor, gouache, and charcoal for studies), oil remained his true medium of expression. He loved how forgiving it could be, how beautifully it handled transitions and edges, and how it allowed for both precision and spontaneity.
Richard Schmid didn’t single out just one favorite color.
He often emphasized the importance of seeing and mixing colors as they appear in nature. Richard loved complex, nuanced tones that conveyed atmosphere, light, and form realistically yet expressively.
In interviews and his teaching, he spoke about how color relationships and values mattered far more than any one "favorite" color. His palette was practical, carefully balanced, and fairly consistent through the years. He did, however, experiment with different colors and different brands of color, and encouraged others to do so on their artistic journey.
If you’re curious, his book Alla PrimaII includes detailed insights into his color mixing philosophy and palette choices.
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Stove Prairie Press® is an independent publishing company founded by Richard Schmid in 1998. It was created specifically to publish his landmark instructional book Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting after traditional publishers declined to take it on, doubting the size of its audience.
Named after the quiet mountain road near his then-home in the Rocky Mountains—Stove Prairie Press® embodies Richard’s commitment to artistic excellence, self-reliance, and quality craftsmanship. The books are works of art in their own right. Since its founding, Stove Prairie Press® has published several additional books, instructional videos, and limited-edition lithographs, all dedicated to promoting excellence in representational art.
The mission of Stove Prairie Press is simple but powerful:
To publish materials that help artists learn and grow,
To prioritize the customer’s experience above all, and
To support American-made production by working with U.S.-based printers, binders, and manufacturers.
Today, Stove Prairie Press continues to honor Richard Schmid’s legacy by preserving and sharing his teachings with artists worldwide through high-quality publications and media.
To read more about Stove Prairie Press® and the story behind Richard Schmid publishing, click here.
All material and images protected by copyright © Stove Prairie Press and the Richard Schmid Fine Art Foundation 2021 – All Rights Reserved
