Meet The Artist: Ritchie Collins

Meet The Artist: Ritchie Collins

In the heart of Leith, between little bars and cafes of the Shore, there is a small, bright gallery space where Ritchie Collins paints his magical, vibrant worlds. He, working painstakingly, brings to life a dream. Ritchie's paintings emanate a warm, serene feeling; a living sense of peace and wonder. We met on a sunny day to talk about life and creativity. Ritchie is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. Come and get to know him a little bit better.

 

So nice of you to meet me here Ritchie. At Curiouser we absolutely love your art and the panoramic Along the Auld Town is one of our most popular Edinburgh pieces. How did you find yourself running a studio/ gallery space in Edinburgh?

 

I came to Edinburgh for what I thought would be a short time while traveling and ended up staying for the last 25 years! 
I was working in a art shop in Morningside and the owner Justine and myself created a studio gallery to sell our own work.
It was really successful and I loved working in a open studio space, after about 10 years I opened my own gallery / studio in Leith. 


Ritchie
Ritchie Collins Gallery in Leith Edinburgh.


I know your connection to location is very strong. Your gallery fits into the Shore perfectly. How do you embrace the spirit of a place?

Having my studio in Leith is great for me as there is a wealth of history and stories. Kings and Queens, shipbuilders, sailors and pirates have all been in Leith along with the amazing ancient buildings- all on my doorstep. They serve as a constant inspiration and fascination for me. Leith historically being an internationally important port has always embraced multiculturalism and I love wandering about and seeing all the different diverse food, businesses and chatting to people.

 

Ritchie Collins Gallery showcases works of other artists as well as Ritchie's.

 

Let's go back to the beginning. What first drew you to painting and how did you develop your colourful, unique style?

Since I was very young I loved art and always wanted to be an artist. My Mum was an artist so I was fortunate to be taken to a lot of galleries and museums by my parents and encouraged to be creative. I was always obsessed with the idea of there being another world of imagination and stories. I loved films, animation and comics growing up and that mixed with all the legends / myths and storytelling traditions of Scotland gave me inspiration for the subjects I wanted to paint. The Scottish Art I was seeing and studying was all about the use of vibrant colour and drawing inspiration from Fauvism which I still love and draw inspiration from. 

Ritchie uses his gallery space as shop and art studio.

 

Do you see your work as more intuitive, or do you plan compositions in advance?

Both really, I sketch at home most nights and use that time to dream away into ideas but I also love and probably prefer just to start a painting in an abstract way and see what starts to appear. I find working more intuitively takes my work to new places and progresses it more.

 

Auld Edinburgh's Rooftops by Ritchie Collins.

 

I love the way your style expands yet holds the same principle of layered colour and dreamlike beauty. How do you find a path forward in your art?

I like to think that my paintings are all rooted in the same dream world so no matter what subject I paint it’s all from the same place.
This gives me a feeling of freedom to explore different subjects that share the same feeling.


Tiny spontaneous painting of a temple by Ritchie Collins - start point and end result.


Despite all of the pieces originating from the same world, have you ever had a piece that turned out completely different from how you envisioned it?

Just about every painting turns out completely different of how I envision it which can be frustrating or joyful but ultimately drives you to do more either way.

 

Along the Auld Town Art Print by Ritchie Collins.

 

Can you tell me about your inspiration? How do the Muses speak to you?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. I recently saw a full idea for a painting in the paint stains in my old ceramic studio sink which I went on to paint.
I do find the more you are working the more inspiration comes to you. A lot of the time my head is so full of ideas of paintings there's not a lot of room for other things which can be a challenge when you are expected to be a functioning adult person. 

 

Painting by Ritchie Collins in progress

 

Yes. I hear you. Especially when there is a lively young family around you. Did your artistic practice change since you became a dad?

Since becoming a Dad my work is definitely inspired by them. Reading them books every night, watching a lot of animation! And just playing and trying to be more mindful of the time spent together has had a positive change on my work. Also seeing what they create everyday and the freedom they have in their creativity is always so inspiring.
They are also harsh critics of my work so that keeps me grounded!


Castle focused works by Ritchie Collins; painting and 3D objects.


Is your artwork infused with emotions and care you experience in life? Do you see a link between feelings and colours?

I think everything you experience in life feeds into the work. Creating art for me has always been an escape from reality when life gets so challenging. It’s a great privilege to try and create work that uplifts and creates positivity in people's lives.
Colours to me are like notes in music, they definitely affect how you feel and when woven together they can be a powerful way to convey a certain vibe.
I always play music when painting to suit the colours I’m using in a painting or the feeling I’m trying to create.


Ritchie Collins painting in his studio.


Do you ever wish you could step into one of your own paintings? Which one would it be and why?

I always remember my dreams every night and take time in the morning to remember all the places I’ve been and what I’ve done so for me that’s the world of my paintings.
The feelings I get from my dreams are the same feelings I try to put into the paintings . It always feels like I’ve travelled to some other world and I’ve painted those worlds more than a few times so choosing a painting to step into would be just stepping back into another dream for me.

 

Ritchie Collins Gallery; inside.

 

Could you tell me a bit about your current project? 

Currently I’m working on a featured artist exhibition for a gallery I regularly exhibit with. I’m painting 15 new pieces for the show, it’s been slightly stressful and really inspiring to come up with new ideas and styles. I’ve been working on new ideas for a while so this has been a great way to finally get the work I want to do done . The new work feels a bit different for me as I feel I’ve gotten to a place where I’m just letting the workflow and it has a freedom to it which makes me happy! 

 

Thank you so much Ritchie. I trust that the exhibition will be a roaring success. May everything go the right way for you.

 

Ritchie Collins Gallery; original painting in the window and a tiny painting held in Ritchie's hands.

 

You can find a collection of Ritchie's prints here.