Meet Victoria Rickards

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Rickards a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Victoria , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I get my work ethic from my life experiences and my family’s legacy. I’ve experienced both abundance and hardship, and these contrasting periods have shaped my perspective on work and perseverance. During tough times, I’ve always been a dreamer, envisioning a better future and what I want to achieve. Once I have a clear picture of my goals, I feel a natural drive to work towards them.

I come from a lineage of hard workers who made significant sacrifices to bring my family to the United States. As a second-generation American, I refuse to let their sacrifices go to waste. I choose to carry the torch of my family, expressing myself in ways my ancestors fought for me to be able to. They walked so I could fly, and this motivates me to work hard and honor their legacy.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m Victoria Rickards, an abstract artist living and working in Columbia, SC. My art delves into the dynamic interplay of fluid shapes, surreal elements, and the subtle presence of hidden faces, all woven around the theme of deception. I’m fascinated by the idea that what we see isn’t always what it seems, and I strive to invite viewers to look deeper and uncover the hidden meanings and identities within my work. Through the use of bold colors and skilled compositions, my digital and physical acrylic paintings transcend traditional labels and challenge conventional categories.

My artistic journey has been one of evolving abstraction. I began by focusing on faces, then transitioned to depicting distorted bodies, and now I’m incorporating maps into my pieces. This progression is a reflection of my exploration into self-perception and the societal pressures related to body image and the mind. The maps in my work symbolize a metaphorical journey through physical and emotional landscapes, representing internal terrains of thoughts, memories, and experiences. Each painting is a personal narrative, offering insight into my memories, passions, aversions, and everything in between.

At the moment, I’m developing a new body of work inspired by guitar-driven music, with pieces influenced by songs like “Crazy on You” by Heart. The collection revolves around the themes of love and betrayal, echoing the intense emotions I’ve experienced recently. While I’ve been surrounded by love, I’ve also faced a significant betrayal from part of my family following the death of my grandmother in February. Through this new collection, I’m channeling these deep emotions into my art, aiming to express them in a beautiful and meaningful way.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

There are three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey: faith, positivity, and fate.

Faith: I’ve always chosen to have faith in myself and ask for what I want from life. Once I have an idea, I work at it gradually without forcing anything, allowing life to guide me. Being easily inspired and impulsive, I’ve learned to trust my intuition and never second-guess what my heart tells me. This faith in my instincts and in the process has been a cornerstone of my success.

Positivity: No matter how tough things get, I allow myself to feel the emotions, have my pity party, and then shake it off. I believe in feeling emotions fully and then letting them go, as holding onto them can make them resurface at inopportune times. I’ve fostered a positive relationship with myself and my mind, knowing that good thoughts bring good things. Maintaining this positivity has been crucial in navigating challenges and staying motivated.

Fate: I believe that fate has played a significant role in my journey. My experiences have led me to where I am today in unexpected ways. For instance, seeing a mural in the Bahamas during a trip to connect with my mother’s side of the family had a profound impact on me. It sparked a butterfly effect, along with my experience as a preschool teacher, which unlocked my current artistic style. Interestingly, I was never formally taught abstraction in school, but being a preschool teacher allowed me to learn from the children’s uninhibited creativity.

For those early in their journey, my advice is to cultivate these three qualities:

Faith: Trust yourself and your instincts. Allow your ideas to develop naturally without forcing them. Believe that you have the ability to achieve your goals, and let that belief guide your actions.

Positivity: Embrace your emotions, but don’t let them hold you back. Cultivate a positive mindset and focus on the good things in your life. This will help you stay resilient and open to new opportunities.

Fate: Be open to the unexpected. Sometimes, the most impactful experiences come from unplanned moments. Embrace these experiences and let them shape your journey. Stay curious and open to learning from everyone and everything around you.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was never discouraging me from pursuing my dream of being an artist. Many people are shut down early when they express a desire to follow an artistic path, but my parents always supported and encouraged me. I was raised by my grandma, great grandmas and my father, who all played significant roles in shaping my childhood. When I decided to go to college and pursue a degree in theater, they were proud of me and encouraged me every step of the way. Their unwavering support and belief in me kept negative self-doubt at bay and allowed me to follow my passion with confidence.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

@phoravarnever – insta. on the picture of me sitting and signing the painting

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