We recently had the chance to connect with Rick Battram and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Rick, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Artists are individuals navigating a fundamental tension between the desire to communicate and the desire to hide.
-Donald Winnicott
Spot on
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Richard “Rick” Battram, an oil painter who works almost exclusively with a palette knife that belonged to my mom. I start from my own photography, translating moments into richly textured, impressionistic paintings. I especially enjoy commissions, bringing someone else’s vision to life with depth, texture, and story.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
Of course, my extremely successful and diligent father (Richard “Dick” Battram) taught me the basics—value presentation, show up early, stay late, volunteer, and respect your boss. Some of that stuck. But it was my various teachers who really taught me how to work. Tom Lang showed me to approach work like a meal—know when to stop. Leon Hicks taught me the value of making messy drawings. And many others shaped my understanding along the way.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I miss Happy Joe’s—it WAS the best pizza ever. Now the franchise has ruined it. What’s left is a pale, sad reminder… like garbage that vaguely reminds you of something you loved. And no, I’m not happy about it.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Of course not, that’s the medicated version
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If immortality were real, what would you build?
If immortality were real, it’d be terrifying. Watching everyone you love grow old while you don’t? Hard pass.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Rbatt2.com
