As an academic, Cheryl Richey was empirical and analytical, dogged in her insistence on backing up practice with evidence.
So it鈥檚 perhaps not surprising that as an artist, the 天美影视传媒 professor emeritus of social work lets her spontaneous, experimental side loose.
鈥淚 think that absence of control is what I needed, because my academic self was very disciplined, very controlled,鈥� said Richey, who retired from the UW in 2003.
Richey, who now spends much of her time as an abstract painter, will be showing at a solo exhibit at the . 鈥淚ntrospection鈥� opens with a public champagne reception and live music by local act from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. The exhibit, which runs through Nov. 14, features 18 of Richey鈥檚 mixed-media paintings from various stages of her career.
It鈥檚 a career Richey never expected to have while coming of age in the Bay Area in the late 鈥�60s and early 鈥�70s. She took drawing and painting classes at San Francisco State, but considered a life of art too self-indulgent. Richey enrolled in the University of California Berkeley鈥檚 social work program, earning her master鈥檚 and doctorate degrees.
She was recruited to the UW in 1973, at age 27, as a professor in the School of Social Work master鈥檚 program. She taught research and practice, counseling methods and social work theory. The field was undergoing a shift toward evidence-based practices that greatly influenced Richey鈥檚 academic perspective.
鈥淟et鈥檚 see the evidence 鈥� that was my training,鈥� she said.
Richey鈥檚 academic career hummed along until a planned sabbatical in 2000, when she was to spend a year as a visiting scholar at Berkeley. But her heart wasn鈥檛 in it, so she canceled the sabbatical and began painting, devoting much of her retirement time to art.
鈥淢y academic career had a 30-year shelf life,鈥� she said wryly.
But Richey鈥檚 desire to make a difference has carried over into her second act. She often donates a percentage on works sold to nonprofits that in turn help promote her shows. She teamed up with the Audubon聽Society for a show featuring her paintings of birds, and with the for a group show of works depicting trees. She will donate a percentage of any sales from the upcoming show to the UW School of Social Work for scholarships.
Richey鈥檚 pieces, which incorporate materials ranging from charcoals to sand and sawdust, draw inspiration from nature and the metaphysical world. Her early work included a series of paintings featuring portals, doorways that 鈥渂eckon us to step forward,鈥� as she on her website. She later became intrigued with celestial themes, creating pieces that evoke moons and wispy, otherworldly beings.
These days, Richey is fascinated by the Japanese concept of , an aesthetic that recognizes the beauty in impermanence and imperfection. 鈥溾�� refers to the celebration of things old and faded, like weathered wood or the patina of an oxidized copper bowl. Richey is interested in detritus, the residues and legacies we leave behind.
She鈥檚 currently working on a series of paintings that she creates by first burning a canvas, then mounting it onto a canvas panel. From there, Richey finishes the piece with paint, applying her analytic nature to solve what she considers a 鈥渃ompositional problem.鈥�
鈥淚 try to lose control initially, then I try to take control back,鈥� she said, then laughed, adding, 鈥淚 really want to experiment and not be so nice anymore.鈥�
“Introspection” runs at the University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave. NE, from Oct. 4 through Nov. 14. Viewing times with the artist are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Friday, Oct. 23. The show is also open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays.