Painting directly from life, artist Richard Fillhouer fills his canvases with bold, luminous strokes of color. A master with the brush, he believes that the application of the paint is as important as the subject matter he is painting. Richard works alla prima and seldom touches a canvas after the initial session, resulting in a sure-handed, yet spontaneous quality in his paintings. "About the only time I ever go back to a piece is to sign it," he says, often forgetting the signature after an arduous session at the easel.

Born in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1950, Fillhouer always enjoyed his art classes the most and showed talent early on, selling his first painting in an art show "on the square" of his home town, earning the grand sum of $30. "I don't remember anything about the painting, but I clearly recall hurrying home to tell Mom and Dad about my first sale," Richard says, "and I've often wondered where that painting ended up."

After attending the University of Wisconsin and finding a need to earn a real living, Fillhouer drifted away from art. He worked as a sales rep for a number of years before opening his own business designing and installing vinyl sign and graphics packages on autos and trucks for dealers.

In 1977, a friend who had recently been to Phoenix suggested that they become partners and move the business to Arizona. That was all it took to convince Fillhouer to move away from the brutal Wisconsin winters. The move led to the meeting of his wife Deb and to a situation comfortable enough financially where he could again dedicate himself to his art after a twenty-five year hiatus.

Shortly thereafter, after reading an article featuring Ovanes Berberian in an art publication, Richard attended a workshop at the artist's Idaho studio and the two men eventually became good friends. "Ovanes opened my eyes both literally and figuratively. I will always be indebted to him for his kindness and generosity. Sharing his wonderful talent and knowledge with me is something that affected both my work and my personal life tremendously."

Before meeting Berberian, Fillhouer had been relatively satisfied with his progress but felt that he needed a fresh approach in order to reach his full potential as an artist. Working with Berberian gave him a new insight which helped to bring all of the pieces together. "I was watching Ovanes do a demonstration, and I was literally floored by his complete mastery of his craft. He is a true genius and ranks as one of the premier colorists on earth; but what really struck me in that instant was that the key to his wonderful, rich color was the proper use of value relationships. That realization alone brought about an almost instantaneous improvement in my work."

Richard also credits Berberian with stressing the importance of warm and cool color relationships, another essential component of the artist's work. It would certainly appear that Richard has learned his lessons well. Starting with a large palette filled with fist-sized piles of raw paint, he creates canvases rich in texture and bursting with an astonishing kaleidoscope of color. He enjoys alternating between the controlled conditions of the studio and "en plein air" painting among the citrus trees and flowers in his back yard.