Let me introduce you to Chris Riley.
It was a chance meeting at Vend Marketplace, (if you are in Brisbane and don’t know it go check it out!) that had me meet Chris Riley and his wife Tracy. I was standing in front of his stall trying to decide which prints to purchase and they happened to walk up. I recognised Chris’s face from his promo cards on display.
It didn’t take long for all of us to get talking about art. Both Chris and Tracy were incredibly warm and generous hearted, right from the outset. I asked Chris if I could take the conversation further with and interview and photos. Which he agreed to.
I am always delighted how the universe provides me with exactly what I want or need. I had an inspiring conversation with Chris which covered many genres including art, business, life, the universe and even some quantum physics for good measure. He is an knowledgable soul, one of those people who has an incredible depth of knowledge. He is also quietly humble and generous spirited. I really noticed how his eyes lit up and his whole persona changed when he was talking about something he was passionate about.
Chris has been painting full time for the last couple of years, aiming to fulfil his art and business dreams. It has been an interesting and challenging journey for him to get to this point and he and his wife are making incredible sacrifices to surge forward in their business dreams. They are incredibly committed and inspiring with what they are doing and have achieved so far.
Chris discovered early on in school that he learnt differently from most, drawing his notes from class instead of writing. So clearly he has always had the visual aspect covered.
Chris had his fair share of struggles. Something he believes makes him more determined and committed. He grew up greatly worrying what other people thought of him. His worrying thoughts snowballed to a point he wasn’t functioning in life and he found himself homeless in his early 20’s. He was having a tough time with depression at this point, not able tolerate his all encompassing thoughts and hated being alone. It was a conversation with one person that provided him with an epiphany moment, and from that day on he was literally transformed. He was no longer a slave to his thoughts, and started to reinvent his life.
Interestingly now, Chis is quite content to paint in solitude.
Chris became so accomplished is his last job as a spray painter and he managed and built a thriving business for his boss. He built it to a point where he could leave to pursue his art and business endeavours.
Chris became so accomplished is his last job as a spray painter and he managed and built a thriving business for his boss. He built it to a point where he could leave to pursue his art and business endeavours.
Chris has in immense thirst for knowledge, and absorbs and retains information like an encyclopaedia. He has such a broad understanding of the world. He is also so committed to gain understanding he will study something until he fully grasps it.
He is constantly stepping outside his comfort zone, and pushing his own boundaries and recently ventured into painting abstracts.
Chris paints the most incredible animal portraits, my favourite being the Jersey Cow. I find it incredible how he manages to capture unique expression in each animal. He is currently working on a project of painting 100 birds! At the time of this article he is up to number 50 something. Woah!
Chris has recently opened up his own studio at East Brisbane - definitely worth a visit. There is nothing like seeing art in real life. He is there most days and Saturdays.
You can find his website and more information here.