About Richard
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Richard Stocker was a Cass Corridor artist and photographer for Fifth Estate Magazine in the 1960’s. He studied art at the Vancouver School of Art, York University, and The Art Institute of Chicago.
In his early thirties, Richard made his way west to become part of the burgeoning natural healing movement. For 35 years, he has maintained a Rolfing practice. Through his somatic work, Richard brings freedom of movement back to his clients’ bodies. His art also explores movement and balance.
Photography was Richard’s first creative passion and he had his own dark room by the age of 10. His is a street style and his interest is primarily in capturing people in their most individual moments. In his 20’s he began experimenting with drawing intricate designs in ink and then creating serographs, a painstaking process that taught him presence and patience. He continues to make intricate pen and ink designs through which he explores balance, movement, and concentration.
Later in life, while living in the tropics, and inspired by the many expat artists he was meeting, he picked up his first paint brush and found a medium through which to express his inherent exuberance and excitement for life.
Since the mid-1990’s, using his ink designs, and long before it became the current trend, Richard has been creating coloring books and events for adults, as well as young people. He has travelled the world teaching the healing benefits of coloring, something he discovered during the difficult 5-year struggle with Leukemia that his young son, Santiago, endured. After his son passed, Richard dedicated himself to helping families and individuals find solace and joy through color and creativity.
Richard’s work has appeared on the cover of Tiferet Journal, at Art Prize 2015, in the art collection of Detroit Receiving Hospital, and in the homes of private collectors. In the spring of 2016, he was a featured artist at The Detroit Institute of Arts and The University of Michigan Museum of Art for his innovative work creating community through coloring.
Richard lives on the Leelanau Peninsula with his wife and now at the age of 75, continues to carry his camera everywhere and can be found daily either in his art studio, exploring this beautiful peninsula, or collaborating on projects to bring more art and fun into the world.