They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and when it comes to Richmond, many artists agree: Our region’s beauty provides endless creative inspiration. There is no location more beloved than the James River at the heart of the city. Ever present, the river changes minute by minute depending on the season, weather and time of day. Its constant fluctuations and the perpetual challenge of capturing the light as it illuminates a scene keep many artists returning to the same riverside locations to record the James’ every mood for posterity.
Richmond’s man-made features are constantly evolving, too, spurring many artists to document its blocks, buildings and skyline in their work before these features disappear or are transformed by further development.
We asked seven painters and photographers to share with us how Richmond looks through the lens of their artistic vision. Take a look.
David Everette
“Atlantic Coast Line Bridge,” davideverettephotogr.photoshelter.com
David Everette has been photographing the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Bridge spanning the James River since the start of his career in the 1970s. For this photo, he waded into the middle of the river in late summer to catch the sun’s first rays as they illuminated the graceful arched structure. “It was a little bit of a hike to get out there,” he recalls of the early morning trek. “But I like to get in [the river] as often as I can when the water is at a safe level.”
A Richmond native, Everette has worked as a professional photographer and processor since the late 1970s. He says he spends time photographing the river at Pony Pasture, the Pipeline Rapids and other locations multiple times a week. “Even though it seems like it is always the same, there is something different about it each time I go,” he says. “The river draws me back to it on a constant basis.”
Melissa Burgess
“East Clopton Street,” mburgesspaintings.com
The daughter of an architect and the granddaughter of a photographer, Melissa Burgess says her impulse to document Richmond’s buildings comes naturally.
“I like older, established neighborhoods,” she says, “mainly for the sense of place and history.” Burgess, who lives in South Side, has recently focused her work on the Manchester area — this scene was captured at Hull and Clopton streets in Swansboro.
“Recently, I have noticed change at an alarming pace as our landscape transforms,” she says, adding, “My job is preservation through portraiture.”
Burgess uses photographs as a reference point for her oil paintings and says she aims to “capture the ambiance or humidity, the temperatures, smells and sounds of a scene. I try to put it all in the painting.”
Peyton Millikan
“The Canal Walk Murals, The Canal Walk,” peytonmillikan.com
Peyton Millikan’s ink and watercolor “painterly drawings” depict some of Richmond’s most iconic buildings and scenes. “I’m really trying to figure out what is essential to that building or place,” she says. “I am trying to pull out enough to describe that place but leave enough room for the viewer to fill in through memory and imagination.”
A Richmond native, Millikan says her most popular prints depict the Byrd Theatre and the Richmond skyline, and she finds inspiration everywhere. “It will be a while before I run out of subject matter here because we have the river and there’s so much history,” she says. “There are areas of the city that have changed so much, and I love that I get to capture a moment in time.”
Joanna Tyka
“Main Street RVA,” tykaart.com
Joanna Tyka was born in Poland and has lived all over the world. “I am a gypsy,” she says, and yet, in 2007, she settled in Richmond. “I just put my finger on the map,” she says, moving here from Miami seeking a quieter life for her and her son. She was pleased by what she found and says Richmond serves as a great subject for her large-scale cityscape paintings.
A full-time artist for nearly 50 years, Tyka makes her paintings from photos she takes while driving around town. “I try to capture the beauty of the old buildings and city life,” she says. While she also creates abstract works, she says that in Richmond, her city and river scenes sell the best. “The people here love their city,” she says.
Alex Nyerges
“RVA Fog,” alexnyerges.com
In addition to serving as director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts since 2006, Alex Nyerges is an internationally known, award-winning photographer.
He takes most of his photos at daybreak, whether he’s at home or traveling the world on museum business, as he seeks to capture the elusive qualities of light, which he says are made more magical by fog. “Fog has a mystical quality that’s almost on a supernatural level,” he says, adding that Richmond stands up to any exotic locale he has visited — especially the James River, one of his favorite subjects.
Nyerges says being a working artist gives him a greater connection to his job as VMFA director. “It’s incredibly difficult in our society to make your living off of your art,’ he says. “I have the great fortune of having a great day job that allows me to pursue my passion.”
Steven Walker
“Broad, Adams and Brook,” stevenwalkerstudios.com
Though he currently lives in Valdosta, Georgia, Richmond native Steven Walker often visits his hometown and is still inspired to paint scenes of the city. He says he’ll go out at sunset and spend a few hours taking photos as he seeks subjects for his nocturnal paintings, which offer him a break from the landscape scenes he is best known for capturing.
In his Richmond cityscapes, Walker says he is looking to capture a “feeling of nostalgia … of growing up there, going to VCU, hanging out around that area.”
He goes out rain or shine, with inclement weather adding interest by creating “a reflection on the streets.
“The city keeps changing every time I come back,” he says. “A lot of prominent buildings still remain, so I can show a little bit of the growth in my work.”
John Henley
“Dogs Walking With Man: Chimborazo Park," johnhenleyphoto.net
Richmond native John Henley has been documenting the city’s landscapes for more than 40 years. Using equipment ranging from a digital SLR to a large-format 4-by-5 camera with black-and-white film, Henley is best-known for his photographs of the James River.
He likes to inject “a little bit of lifestyle” into his landscapes, as with this photograph of a man walking his dogs in Chimborazo Park. “The dogs tell a little story,” Henley says. “There’s a little something there besides just a pretty landscape.”
And although he’s seen many changes in Richmond over the years, Henley intentionally tries not to capture that. “I didn’t want to speak about development — I don’t spend a lot of time photographing skylines,” he says. “I try to make my photos timeless.”