Artist, Phil Richards gets Ultimate Honor
Friday, August 5, 2011
By: Larry Johnston
Phil Richards has painted murals for malls and streets, and portraits of premiers, university and bank presidents. One of his murals in Germany includes 187 celebrity portraits.
Now, he has been awarded what must be the ultimate commission for a portrait artist. He will paint the queen for the Canadian government to be ready for her majesty's diamond jubilee in 2012.
Richards can't about the commission as part of his arrangement, but his art speaks volumes. Born in 1951, he attended R.H King Collegiate, as did his wife and much later, their three children. He studied at the Ontario College of Art, and has worked as a visual artist for more than 35 years, with numerous solo group shows.
