Newport Dusk by Ronald Stephen Riddick

This is a colorful etching and aquatint by California artist Ronald Stephen Riddick. Riddick is best known for his Western art which was his specialty after a trip to Sedona in 1979. However, this work predates that shift in subject matter. Riddick was born in California and was exposed to art throughout his childhood, as his father was art director with offices adjacent to the Los Angeles County Art Museum. Riddick pursued formal study in Los Angeles at the Art Center College of Design. He also spent time in many of Southern California's most prestigious art schools including Chouinard's Art Institute and the Otis Art Institute. He studied privately with Sergei Bongart. While best known as a painter, he also worked at a printmaking atelier in Southern California and has produced many original prints. This example is from 1977 and the setting is the harbor at Newport Beach. Sailboats are moored side by side and are backlit by the setting sun. A few figures are present on deck and he has applied hand coloring to a couple of the shirts of the figures on the second boat from the left. The reflections in the rippling water is especially beautiful and speaks to Riddick's skill as a printmaker. The use of aquatint gives the piece a painterly quality. The etching is in very good condition. It is framed and has not been examined out of the frame. It is signed and dated by the artist lower right R. S. Riddick 1977. The edition is lower center, 22/250 and the title is lower left. The image is well struck and inked with no fading. The plate size is 14 x 15 1/2 inches. The frame size is 22 x 23 3/4 inches. The mats appear archival but they are no longer completely flat. The backing is not archival. The visible image has no evidence of condition issues including no staining, foxing, tears, or paper loss. A beautiful early work by this well-known California artist.