PRELUDE TO THE DANCE

“This painting is highlighted by the remarkably bold colors of the traditional besturios, a type of folklorico costume from Mexico. My wife Natalie and I saw these dancers near Tuscon, Arizona, at a Sonoran folk festival and I wanted to capture the intensity of sun and shadow on these warm vibrant colors . . . . I hope to create art that conveys the dignity and beauty of these ethnic cul-tures as they exist today. I feel a sense of urgency to record these moments of life and celebration before they are potentially lost or forgotten in time.” R. S. Riddick loves to paint the heritage and customs of the southwestern, Mexican and Native American peoples. This print is classic Riddick, in a style he described recently in "Southwest Art" magazine as ". . . a blend of realism and colorism."