User:Dvargvolk/sandbox

Biography
Richard Wilson Jr. is a recognized painter from North Carolina. Born in (year) Robersonville, NC, he was well known from his family as a creative kid. When he was 8 he was attracted to crafting images of trucks, action figures as well as cartoon characters. He was often asked from his classmates to create drawings to them. His father (name) mentored and influenced him. He led the way to his actual artist career. He studied High School in SouthWest Edgecombe High School, in Pinetops, NC. After High School he enrolled to Barton College to get track to the artist career. After that, he studied and received a degree in Advertising & Graphic Design from Pitt Community College, an institution which received him as an instructor in the art department.

Richard Wilson Jr. has developed a great dominion of his tools creating as a result beautiful paintings that reflect his experience and master in the execution. Richard Wilson focus on narrative paintings, artworks the tell stories about family, childhood, and North Carolina´s sceneries. He as an a artist develops artworks with personal stores that be understood by a broader audience. His color palette and artworks are most of the time nostalgic and express human connections. He creates his artworks using pastels as a painting technique. (description of pastel technique) He has created several portraits by commission like a portrait of George Henry White, painting in the Edgecombe County Superior Courthouse in Tarboro, NC. George Henry White was the last former slave to serve in Congress. he has also commissioned by the University of Georgia to do the official portrait of Mary Frances Early, the first African to graduate from the University.

Career and prizes
He is a young artist with an impressive twenty-year career with numerous artworks in different public and private collections. In 2018 he was featured in the Wall Street Journal and recognized by writer, Daniel Grant as “one of the most successful artist that you’re likely to meet”.

In 2016 he was selected by Blue Moon Brewing Company as one the 20 Up and Coming Artist in the United States to design a Limited Edition label for their 20th Anniversary Blue Moon Artist Series bottles.

In March, 2013, he was featured on the cover of Sunshine Artist magazine.

In 2013, the Art Collectors Magazine highlighted Wilson’ s studio and work as a destination to see in the Carolinas and highlight his work in their December`s 2013 magazine.

In 2018 he was awarded tin the first place in the Pastel Journal Founder’s Award in memory of Maggie Price in the 20th Annual Pastel 100 Competition and featured in the April 2019 issue of the Pastel Journal.

In 2002 he received the prestigious National Arts Club Award. In 2005 he won the first place in “The Best of North Carolina” Juried Publication. In 2006 he won the Pastel Society of New Mexico Award at the Pastel Society of America 34th Annual Art Exhibit, National Arts Club in New York City.

In 2011 the International Tennis Hall of Fame acquired the painting titled “In His Shadow”, an artwork inspired by Arthur Ashe for their permanent collection.

In 2016, he had five of his artworks were purchased for the movie “Barbershop – The Next Cut”, featuring actors, Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Common & rapper Nicki Minaj.

Richard Wilson´s artwork has being acquired by notable collectors as the legendary Hall of Fame baseball player Henry Hank Aaron, Tina Knowles – Designer & mother of singer Beyonce’ Knowles, Gladys Knight, Tom Joyner, Ed Gordon, Victoria Rowell, Bev Smith, Anne & Clifton Davis, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Judge James Wynn and many more.

Collectors
Richard Wilson´s artwork has being acquired by notable collectors as the legendary Hall of Fame baseball player Henry Hank Aaron, Tina Knowles – Designer & mother of singer Beyonce’ Knowles, Gladys Knight, Tom Joyner, Ed Gordon, Victoria Rowell, Bev Smith, Anne & Clifton Davis, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Judge James Wynn and many more.

Featured Appearances and Publications
November 2020. Our State Magazine Portraits of Greatness. Written by Kim Grizzard / photography by Alex Boerner

April 2019. The power of dreams - Pastel Journal Magazine. by John A. Parks

October 2018. Mary Frances Early honored with official UGA portrait. UGA Today, by Heather Skyler

Spring 2018. A leap of faith, a graceful landing. Greenville: Life in the East, by Mackenzie Tewksbury.