Art By Rick Romano

Art After 911

2010-04-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

I did this giant outside wall mural a few weeks after 911. This wall was given to me to do with whatever I wanted as it's very visable to thousands of motorists a week heading into the Va Beach Oceanfront. The light spot in the blue stars area was originally going to have the Twin Towers as an outline but I decided against it. This mural is on the north side of Rt.264, 5 miles from the VB Oceanfront.

Surfpainting

2010-04-05T20:07:00.001-07:00

"Quagmires"

2010-03-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Finally finished this original of "Quagmires" I love the old cottage style of this building. Through the years it has been a number of businesses, most Outer Banks locals know it as the Croatan Inn of Kill Devil Hills, NC. I have a reverence for the old landmarks of beach towns and this was always a favorite. A Limited Edition of signed art prints of "Quagmires" will be forthcoming.

The Quagmires Original

2010-03-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

Still working on the Quagmires original for it's Limited Edition print run. Not sure how many I will use for the edition either. I tend to keep the amount of prints very low insuring a good value to the collector. I'm thinking a print run of 75 signed and numbered giclee's on watercolor paper or canvas.

Finding Driftwood to Paint on.

2010-03-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

If I decided to make paintings on all the cool driftwood I'm finding in the 11 mile stretch from Corolla to Carova, NC. ..I'd be painting for the next 50 years! (not that I have that long.)

Spring Swell

2010-03-13T05:02:00.000-08:00

After an awful dark and cold winter there's nothing like mild temps in March and the promise of warming waters to pump the blood flow. Throw in Eastern Daylight Savings time, a weekend swell and it's surfin' time! March and April can be a great time in the water since many surfers I know won't go out until the water temps reach high into the sixties. The beauty of stand up paddle surfing is you simply don't have to lie down or sit in cold water. Most times I get so warmed up standing on my board I'll jump into the 50 degree water just to cool off.

Drawing and painting.

2010-03-06T16:14:00.001-08:00

Painting takes time and you need a space all your own to keep your brushes and paints just where you want them when you need them. Drawing however can take place anytime, anywhere and should be practiced in your sketchbook almost daily. I have a reverence for old rustic signs and it's fun to create them on paper like this one.

My Carova Office/studio/entertainment center!

2010-03-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

It's not big but neither is The Marble Wreck Cottage I inhabit. I have sworn off TV down here so I have nothing to do except draw, paint and fix the plumbing every now and then. My first order of business in the morning is coffee, Surf Check, listen to the weather radio and look for new animal tracks just to name a few.

Classic Carova Cottages

2010-02-28T05:02:00.000-08:00

I love these old trailer/cottage homes found in the backroads of Carova Beach. Like most classic cottages nearing the end of their usefulness, they are getting harder to find. The nice owners of this place have graciously asked me to do a painting of the place before they tear it down for new construction. Not show is the family (dogs) graveyard where there are about 6 dogs buried over the course of 25 years or so.

My Oceanfront Mural in Carova Beach.

2010-02-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

The mural is just about done. It's low to the floor in a lot of the area so there is a lot of ups and downs. Thankfully I have good knees. The surf was not too good today so I had better concentration...;0) I have one more day on this project which will be probably Tuesday so I'll have complete photos for you If I can figure out to load more then one on this blog. For more pics please go to my Blogspot listed below...........Rick

The work space..one of them.

2010-02-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I use lots of paint. I also use an adjustable drafting table and one very large easel. Music is always a must! Sometimes I play my music way too loud and I don't always hear people come in the showroom which is downstairs. I'll be painting away and someone will come upstairs, walk in and watch without me knowing they are there.

Art Classes

2010-02-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Painting and Drawing workshops begin first week in March on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 PM. Learn to use colorful acrylics to paint waves, dolphins and warm beach scenes in the simplest ways. I will be demonstrating while you paint. Skill level: All... Paint and brushes included. Call 757-425-3590 for details.

Historic Eastern Shore

2010-02-17T05:12:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday I went to check on a used boat for the coming season in Carova and happened to ride by this very historic home on the edge of The Chesapeake Bay. My friend who was showing me the boat said many early Presidents stayed here for duck hunting. This one photo does not do it justice as it spreads out quite a bit. Just looking at this 1800's home one can imagine the activity surrounding the oyster shucking buildings in the back near the water entrance. Also not in the pic are the slave quarters and the expanse of open fields still heavily populated with geese. I was given permission to go back and do some extensive studying and painting of this beautiful area.

I'm Sick (in a good way.)

2010-02-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Art with Rick Romano One of the best complements I received last year was a 10 year old kid who looked at one of my big wave paintings, looked back at me and promptly said,"You're Sick!". I was perplexed at first then realized that's his way of saying, he really liked the painting!

Show Time

2010-02-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

Still getting hammered by winter storms, spring and summer seem so far away for everyone (except the Hawaiians). Before I know it I'll be under my art show tent once again for the summer shows so now is the time for the production of new works. This is the display for my shows this year.

Pearl's Bay Villa

2010-02-10T08:06:00.001-08:00

Pearl's is the place! Along with Brumley Rd. Pearl's is the most popular boat launching spot on Knott's Island for getting to Carova Beach. It's about a 7 minute ride across Knott's Island Sound to the canals of Carova. During Northeaster Storms, it can get less then a foot deep across the Sound and sometimes you have to get out and walk your boat the rest of the way.

Tropical Diversion

2010-02-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

One of my cool photos of plumeria I captured last October while checking the surf on Maui. Aside from Va Beach, seems like I'm either in Carova Beach or Maui, Hawaii. I just wish they were a little closer together.

Pier Pressure

2010-02-04T07:14:00.001-08:00

This image is currently one of my best selling prints to date. I have sold this 24''x32'' print to adults and kids alike. One day during my last year of high school, my friend and I were going surfing before our last football game later that night. The surf was huge that afternoon when we spotted two guys jumping off The Wooden Pier in Va Beach, to get into the surf. We both looked at each other and said, "we gotta do that!" But what would our coaches do to us? we were co-captains, seniors and it was our last high school game. We sneaked through the fence on the pier, jumped off and caught just one wave and each had the best last game of our lives. Hence the inspiration for this painting

Embellishing

2010-02-03T05:46:00.000-08:00

Because I frame all of my own artwork, I'm able to take the time to personally "embellish" all of my matted prints and posters which adds to the value and gives the collector a kind of original work of art without the cost of an original painting. Here, I'm embellishing a double matted Ltd. Edition print.

The Outside Shower.

2010-02-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me why but since I've been coming to Carova Beach back in the 70's, I've always loved the Outside Shower. I'm always checking out everybody's outdoor shower whenever I visit someone's house for the first time. I inspect the kind of plumbing, the woodwork and once I found someone had put in a outdoor toilet next to the shower! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! In this published art print, I just had to glorify my version of the tropical island outdoor shower in paradise. I call this print "Way Outer Reef"

Frozen Sandbar with Trees.

2010-01-31T06:10:00.000-08:00

The sun is finally out here in Carova but my pipes outside are froze solid, Hopefully they'll thaw without any cracks, they have done that before without any problems.

Snow fall in Carova Beach, NC

2010-01-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

Today at The Jetty..

2010-01-25T16:27:00.001-08:00

2010-01-25T05:04:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about stand up paddle surfing is the ability to see (and time) the oncoming sets. On this day last summer during the Hurricane Bill swell in Carova Beach, I was able to see an opening through the giant shorebreak and make it outside for an incredible day of paddlesurfing, completely alone.

Carova Beach sandbagging and dumptruckin'.

2010-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

One home owner getting a rare permit to use sand bags instead of the usual sandfencing along with the occasional dumptruck load of sand.

The late fall Northeaster hits Croatan beaches!

2010-01-20T05:19:00.000-08:00

The Jetty

2010-01-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

Had a fun day in the water at The Jetty in Va Beach. Air was actually mild but when you're standing up on a paddle board it's very warm when the sun hits your black wetsuit. I felt bad for the prone surfers Lying in that cold water waiting for waves. Here is a comparison of conditions at The Jetty from last summer to that crazy Northeaster last fall.

Morning in Carova Beach.

2010-01-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

It's great to wake up and not have "Lake Drummond" in my front yard for once. When I bought my little spot in Carova Beach, I knew it was wet in the front yard but with high sand in the back. It doesn't bother me all that much because it keeps the tourists down to a minimum. Some Carovians call my neighborhood, "The Bowl".

The same road 2 months earlier.

2010-01-13T06:49:00.001-08:00

The road to my Marble Wreck Cottage

2010-01-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

This is the road to my house just after Christmas, 2009

Off The Jetty at The East Coast Surfing Championships.

2010-01-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

SUP Surfing last summer.

2010-01-12T06:11:00.000-08:00

One of my contest waves at The East Coast Surfing Championships. Contest or not, with all things being equal, I wish I was on this wave right now!

2010-01-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Early morning in the studio waiting for first light cause the waves are (sounding) good, but first I sketched this before some coffee.

2010-01-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Some driftwood sandfence glued into place to make a cool painting surface for something simple.

Stand up paddle drawing.

2010-01-09T16:17:00.001-08:00

Stand Up paddle drawing.

2010-01-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Stand up paddle sketching made simple.

2010-01-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite substrates to paint on is this Bamboo weave I brought back from Maui. I use loads of paint so the surface was not a problem. I'm sure this bamboo weave was never made on Maui.

2010-01-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

A small watercolor of my oldest brother Bob's house in Carova Beach, NC. Carova is one of the last places on the East Coast where you HAVE to drive a 4x4 on the beach to get there by car. Boat bicycle or helicopter is about is about the only other way to get access.

Lots of wave studies

2010-01-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

I never tire of drawing waves, Been doing it since 4th grade!

Driftwood Directions

2010-01-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

This is a actually an acrylic painting done on watercolor paper. Golden Acrylics (which I've been using for years) have so many uses. Golden Paints are not cheap but I love em'.

2010-01-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the show folks, On this day of January 8th 2010 I have begun this "Blog" my father would be proud of. He kept a small diary in his days that I can't find so I decided to keep this one in his honor. I hope you'll find my entries of sketches, paintings, doodlings, photography and short quips about my travels through this life interesting. I promise it won't be boring.