Rich Boyd—Artist, Designer, Photographer, Writer

Rich Boyd grew up in Tucson, Arizona. Upon graduating from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Commercial Design, as well as U.S. Army commissioning ceremonies, 2nd Lieutenant Rich was ordered to report to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to train as an Infantry Officer. He completed Airborne School, Infantry Officer’s Basic and Ranger School at Ft. Benning, Georgia before orders arrived for Viet Nam. Rich was assigned to the First Brigade of the decorated 101st Airborne Division where he served as an Infantry Platoon Leader. Wounded in the middle of his tour, Rich returned to the U.S. to serve at the Dept. of Army Headquarters, Infantry Branch, in Washington D.C. until the end of his active Duty obligation.

Afterward Rich returned to school on the G.I. Bill and earned a BS with Honors in Transportation Design at Art Center College, now located in Pasadena, California. Hired upon graduation, Rich and his bride Linda traveled to Detroit, Michigan where he began working as an exterior body designer for Chrysler Corporation. Three years and a baby daughter later, Rich left Chrysler to return to warmer climates. Returning to Southern California industrial design jobs employed Rich’s skills including Mattel Toys, Mattel Electronics, Revell Models, Mazda of North America, and Fleetwood Enterprises. In the late ’80s he made a fun-filled career change into automotive publishing. For 23-years Rich was employed as a journalist taking pictures of and writing about hot rods, custom cars and trucks. In 2007 Rich started a new title for the Action Pursuit Group called The World of RODS. He soon learned the publishing world had changed and Rich changed with it.

Retiring from publishing in 2009 his days now are pleasantly filled painting in his studio loft. Oil on canvas or linen is his first choice of materials, but he’s also investigating colored pencil applied on various papers and gesso-covered panels. Rich enjoys painting automotive subjects, western heritage themes and portraits. His Southwest travels have provided him with photographic references for horses, wranglers and landscapes. “I feel compelled to document the cowboy way of life while it still exists. But on occasion I’ll paint more contemporary themes such as hot rods and exotic automobiles. I’m still a car guy . . . that will never change.”

As a member of the Masters of the Huntington Beach Art League Rich attends monthly meetings and competes in local art shows. The inspiration and motivation each meeting brings has helped improve his technique and knowledge of oil paint properties. Numerous awards have been bestowed in the past 5-years, including a twelve Best of Show awards and dozens of First Place awards for oil painting, pencil drawing and Mixed Media (as of 2017). The efforts are earning Rich national attention. But there’s always more to learn when painting in different light conditions. “To become a better painter, I work constantly to become a better photographer. My passion for western heritage themes comes from my childhood experiences in Tucson, Arizona.

Education: BFA Commercial Art, University of Arizona; BS with Honors Transportation Design, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California

Best of Show Awards:
Anaheim Art Association 2012
Best of Show 2012, Traditional Artist’s Guild, Paramount, CA
Best of Show 2015, Traditional Artist’s Guild, Paramount, CA
Best of Show 2016, Traditional Artist’s Guild, Paramount, CA
Huntington Beach Art League 2014 Members’ Fall Show
Lakewood Artist Guild 2014 Spring Show
Best of Show 2016, Colored Pencil Society of America, Chapter 214
Mountain Oyster Show 2014 & 2015, Tucson, AZ
Traveling the West 2015, Dallas, TX

For more information about Rich, visit his site, RichBoydArt.com.

Gallery

Rich’s photo gallery includes artwork from his Chrysler days, artwork that got him a position at Street Rodder magazine, studio art, and images from his spectacular ’40 Ford Pickup build.

Articles published by The World of Rods feature Rich’s ’40 Ford Pickup. Exhaust; How to Build Exhaust Systems That Breathe and Last was published in 2007, and This Old Truck; Pro Paint Tips: Prepping and Reading Body Surfaces was published in 2008. Both articles are available in PDF format. Just click on the covers.