Richard Seidel's lively figurative paintings are inspired by the bright and beautiful colors of St. Petersburg Florida downtown and beaches, coastal vacations and artist residencies abroad. 
 
 Extensive travel, particularly in idyllic artist residencies, has afforded Richard Seidel the opportunity to paint in some of the most luxurious destinations in the World.  His compositions of people at leisure, mostly frolicking on the beach or gathering in familiar tourist spots, exude a optimistic spirit. 
 
Seidel's gestural scenes, in the spirit of early 20th century French painter Raoul Dufy, remind us of our own travel memories, yet the figures and details have qualities that suggest a more romantic time.  Subtle details like striped swimming attire, and festooned hats hint at 19th century paintings of the leisure class, on location in some of the most fashionable places in Europe.