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| A Peek Into The Quirky Life & Art Journey Of: Rick Hunt |
| Kaliopy Presents |
Born: 2/5/55 (age 55)
Place: Littleton, New Hampshire USA
Fact: Grew up as an only child (Sister Terrill
was adopted when Rick was in his 40’s)
I was born on a cold February day with a black
eye (was pulled out by forceps!). My early childhood was
colored by cartoons and colouring books and by wearing
costumes such as Superman or a trench coat detective. I
facilitated neighbourhood circuses and “shows” and had a
favourite toy, a hard rubber UFO. I was frightened by Aunt
Jemima cookie jars and ventriloquist dummies. I thought that the
Lawrence Welk people could see me getting into my pajamas! I
have always had an active imagination.
Place: Littleton, New Hampshire USA
Fact: Grew up as an only child (Sister Terrill
was adopted when Rick was in his 40’s)
I was born on a cold February day with a black
eye (was pulled out by forceps!). My early childhood was
colored by cartoons and colouring books and by wearing
costumes such as Superman or a trench coat detective. I
facilitated neighbourhood circuses and “shows” and had a
favourite toy, a hard rubber UFO. I was frightened by Aunt
Jemima cookie jars and ventriloquist dummies. I thought that the
Lawrence Welk people could see me getting into my pajamas! I
have always had an active imagination.
My earliest drawing memory was learning to draw a profile of
Elvis Presley in a large wallpaper sample book when I was
about four from my cousin Butch. According to my mother I
have been drawing since I was “old enough to pick up a
pencil”. As I got a little older I collected comic books and had
a refrigerator box on its side full of them including my uncle’s
collection of World War II Flying Ace issues. Many an hour I
studied the images and attempted to copy them. Later, I
would start creating my own stylized cartoon characters and
especially after my father agreed to pay for a cartooning
course that was advertised in the back of a comic book. I
begged him to be able to take this correspondence course
which cost fifty dollars (a lot of money in those days)…
I had a seminal art experience around 1966
when visiting Cape Cod Massachusetts one summer and a
family friend who was a painter took me to Provincetown to
view galleries and studios and introduce me to some famous
painters. One of whom may have been Robert Motherwell. I
returned from this outing with a determination to become a
serious artist after experiencing the linseed oil studios,
sandaled and bearded men, and the young women in mini-
skirts. My mother was overheard telling my Aunt Doria on
the phone, I just know he’s going to become one of those
beatnik weirdo’s!” How prophetic!!
Elvis Presley in a large wallpaper sample book when I was
about four from my cousin Butch. According to my mother I
have been drawing since I was “old enough to pick up a
pencil”. As I got a little older I collected comic books and had
a refrigerator box on its side full of them including my uncle’s
collection of World War II Flying Ace issues. Many an hour I
studied the images and attempted to copy them. Later, I
would start creating my own stylized cartoon characters and
especially after my father agreed to pay for a cartooning
course that was advertised in the back of a comic book. I
begged him to be able to take this correspondence course
which cost fifty dollars (a lot of money in those days)…
I had a seminal art experience around 1966
when visiting Cape Cod Massachusetts one summer and a
family friend who was a painter took me to Provincetown to
view galleries and studios and introduce me to some famous
painters. One of whom may have been Robert Motherwell. I
returned from this outing with a determination to become a
serious artist after experiencing the linseed oil studios,
sandaled and bearded men, and the young women in mini-
skirts. My mother was overheard telling my Aunt Doria on
the phone, I just know he’s going to become one of those
beatnik weirdo’s!” How prophetic!!
In 6th grade I read anything I could find
about art and discovered Pablo Picasso. A
librarian fresh out of college in my
elementary school gifted me with her huge,
thick art history textbook crammed full of
photos of modern art. I carried this book
under my arm for a year even during gym
class.
It was around this time I met
New Hampshire commercial artist Claude L.
Brusseau (another family friend). Claude
designed and created many, if not all of the
tourist advertisements and pamphlets for
New Hampshire attractions during the forties
through the early sixties. He was an
old-school commercial artist complete with
fedora and pipe and Clark Gable
moustache. I adored him and would visit his
studio frequently to harass him to show me
drawing techniques and his airbrush. We
remained friends until his passing.
about art and discovered Pablo Picasso. A
librarian fresh out of college in my
elementary school gifted me with her huge,
thick art history textbook crammed full of
photos of modern art. I carried this book
under my arm for a year even during gym
class.
It was around this time I met
New Hampshire commercial artist Claude L.
Brusseau (another family friend). Claude
designed and created many, if not all of the
tourist advertisements and pamphlets for
New Hampshire attractions during the forties
through the early sixties. He was an
old-school commercial artist complete with
fedora and pipe and Clark Gable
moustache. I adored him and would visit his
studio frequently to harass him to show me
drawing techniques and his airbrush. We
remained friends until his passing.
At age 12 I had pretty much decided to become a
serious artist. I started drawing daily and with
discipline and carried a sketchbook everywhere. In
my late teens a series of my drawings were
published and sold as psychedelic posters
internationally. I was known then as “Quicksilver
Rick” and it was during this hippie summer-of-love
era that I became a serious psychedelic quester.
As can been witnessed today this experience had a
huge effect on how I perceived “reality” and created
art.
Because I was one of those
“creative” kids in the public school system and they
didn’t quite know what to do with me, (I would draw
Egyptian hieroglyphs on my biology exam and pass
it in…),I was taken under the wing of international
illustrator/designer/printmaker/painter and
professor, Kenneth Westhaver who taught at the
innovative and alternative Franconia College. I
started out by visiting his studio on Saturday
mornings where he would tutor me and give me
assignments and books to read.I was then put into
afternoon art classes. I was spending half a day in
an Archie Comic Book High School, and the other
half of the day at Haight Ashbury Franconia
College. It was a dramatic and strange shift of
realities which was difficult for me to manage . I
then started attended Franconia College full time
as the youngest student there and at age 16 was
thrust into life drawing classes where I was so
embarrassed to see naked women posing that I
drew many of them with duck bills and electric plugs
extending from their arses.
serious artist. I started drawing daily and with
discipline and carried a sketchbook everywhere. In
my late teens a series of my drawings were
published and sold as psychedelic posters
internationally. I was known then as “Quicksilver
Rick” and it was during this hippie summer-of-love
era that I became a serious psychedelic quester.
As can been witnessed today this experience had a
huge effect on how I perceived “reality” and created
art.
Because I was one of those
“creative” kids in the public school system and they
didn’t quite know what to do with me, (I would draw
Egyptian hieroglyphs on my biology exam and pass
it in…),I was taken under the wing of international
illustrator/designer/printmaker/painter and
professor, Kenneth Westhaver who taught at the
innovative and alternative Franconia College. I
started out by visiting his studio on Saturday
mornings where he would tutor me and give me
assignments and books to read.I was then put into
afternoon art classes. I was spending half a day in
an Archie Comic Book High School, and the other
half of the day at Haight Ashbury Franconia
College. It was a dramatic and strange shift of
realities which was difficult for me to manage . I
then started attended Franconia College full time
as the youngest student there and at age 16 was
thrust into life drawing classes where I was so
embarrassed to see naked women posing that I
drew many of them with duck bills and electric plugs
extending from their arses.
In the 70’s I worked in human services jobs
and became a street outreach worker
interacting with outlaw biker gangs, junkies,
dealers,pimps (real ones),prostitutes, and
various street people. This experience in and
of itself gave me a lifetime of inspiration for
artworks. Later on, I attended Lesley College in
Cambridge, Massachusetts and got a degree
in psychology. I then became an assistant
director for a residential program for heroin
addicts for 6 years. This was after three years
studying illustration/fine arts at Massachusetts
College of Art in Boston.
Other influences in my art
come from my Native American ancestry and
spirituality, and also having been a single
parent raising a baby pretty much by myself,
and interests in such varied topics as 60’s
music and in particular the Beatles. All of my
life experience is food for my art.
and became a street outreach worker
interacting with outlaw biker gangs, junkies,
dealers,pimps (real ones),prostitutes, and
various street people. This experience in and
of itself gave me a lifetime of inspiration for
artworks. Later on, I attended Lesley College in
Cambridge, Massachusetts and got a degree
in psychology. I then became an assistant
director for a residential program for heroin
addicts for 6 years. This was after three years
studying illustration/fine arts at Massachusetts
College of Art in Boston.
Other influences in my art
come from my Native American ancestry and
spirituality, and also having been a single
parent raising a baby pretty much by myself,
and interests in such varied topics as 60’s
music and in particular the Beatles. All of my
life experience is food for my art.
These days: I am married to Carolyn Hunt who is a professional
traditional Native storyteller and together we are “Laughing
Couple”. We perform all over New England, New York, New
Jersey and anywhere we are invited. While Carolyn shares the
tales I, as the visual artist in our duo, create huge spontaneous
and improvisational murals in front of audiences at schools,
colleges, arts festivals, powwows, and other community places.
We have performed for organizations such as the Girl Scouts,
Appalachian Mountain Club, and other civic groups. In
December of 2009, we performed on stage at the Flynn Theatre
in Burlington, Vermont with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra
(as they were playing!). Carolyn did five solo dates with them as
well in the autumn of 2009.
Currently I am on the board for The
Museum of 60’s Music and Culture. A project being developed
by Beatles biographer Geoffrey Giuliano. A beautiful work in
progress.
traditional Native storyteller and together we are “Laughing
Couple”. We perform all over New England, New York, New
Jersey and anywhere we are invited. While Carolyn shares the
tales I, as the visual artist in our duo, create huge spontaneous
and improvisational murals in front of audiences at schools,
colleges, arts festivals, powwows, and other community places.
We have performed for organizations such as the Girl Scouts,
Appalachian Mountain Club, and other civic groups. In
December of 2009, we performed on stage at the Flynn Theatre
in Burlington, Vermont with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra
(as they were playing!). Carolyn did five solo dates with them as
well in the autumn of 2009.
Currently I am on the board for The
Museum of 60’s Music and Culture. A project being developed
by Beatles biographer Geoffrey Giuliano. A beautiful work in
progress.
Other art related projects have included creating a series of three
murals in the summer of 2009 for the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbour,
Maine under a National endowment For The Arts grant. Also, designing
the Vermont Public Radio July 2009 fundraiser coffee mug, and
facilitating “Dancing With Pen” storytelling/drawing workshops in
museums and schools. Laughing couple also facilitates Artists In
Residence programs in school systems and teach creativity workshops.
My work has been published in books and
magazines and on tee-shirts. It has been used to promote a number of
bands and musicians. I am currently in the process of discussing
details of a rock band/visual artist performance collaboration with an up
and coming band in Seattle, Washington. I am a disciplined and
committed artist who creates/draws daily in any spare moments when
not performing as part of “Laughing Couple”. I draw every spare
moment that I have as the thousands of images I have created
attests!
murals in the summer of 2009 for the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbour,
Maine under a National endowment For The Arts grant. Also, designing
the Vermont Public Radio July 2009 fundraiser coffee mug, and
facilitating “Dancing With Pen” storytelling/drawing workshops in
museums and schools. Laughing couple also facilitates Artists In
Residence programs in school systems and teach creativity workshops.
My work has been published in books and
magazines and on tee-shirts. It has been used to promote a number of
bands and musicians. I am currently in the process of discussing
details of a rock band/visual artist performance collaboration with an up
and coming band in Seattle, Washington. I am a disciplined and
committed artist who creates/draws daily in any spare moments when
not performing as part of “Laughing Couple”. I draw every spare
moment that I have as the thousands of images I have created
attests!
| Official website is www.laughingcouple.com and we have a “Laughing Couple interactive Storytelling” page on Face Book: |
