Jean Richards

Jean Richards

Jean Richards was a Canadian artist whose work was deeply inspired by the natural beauty of the Alberta landscape. Born in 1924, Richards spent much of her life in Alberta, where she drew profound inspiration from the constant changes in light, form, and space that define the province’s vast and varied terrain. These natural elements became the core of her artistic vision.

Artist Statement

Richards explained her artistic purpose as the pursuit of capturing the essence of the landscape around her. She believed that while many people see the living things in nature, few truly understand what they are witnessing. Whether her work was abstract, such as her depictions of canola fields, or created in a more traditional style, her intention remained the same: to uncover and convey the living essence of the things she saw.

To help bring this vision to life, Richards employed a wide variety of tools, beyond just the typical brush and watercolor paints. She often worked with crayons, pastels, inks, acrylics, and even ground-up rock. Her materials were as diverse as her creative process, and she was known for painting with a sponge dipped in colours, or using any method that helped her add her personal touch. For Richards, each work of art was a unique voice, an expression of her personal mark on the world.

Richards also described her art as “visual poetry,” reflecting her belief that her paintings were not just images but expressions of emotion, rhythm, and beauty—much like the flow and cadence of poetry.

Her work, rich in texture and bold in its representation of nature, continues to be celebrated for its unique ability to capture the spirit of the landscape and its intricate connection to the artist’s inner world.