Richard McDiarmid’s Dynamic Festival Artwork Captures the Soul of Jazz
For years, the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival has celebrated the vibrant creativity of local artists, showcasing their original work through exhibits, vendor displays, live demonstrations, and eye-catching banners throughout the festival grounds and Fort Langley. But one of the most exciting moments each year is selecting the signature artwork—the standout piece that will represent the Festival in our annual marketing and promotional materials!
We're thrilled to have award-winning local artist Richard McDiarmid's remarkable work selected as the featured artwork for the 2025 Festival!
Richard says, "This particular piece is an exploration of the music and energy I experienced in the moments it represents, including moments from the Festival." The exceptional painting evokes sound—conveying a moody jazz atmosphere, expressive, complex harmonies and lively stage presence—all using dimensional colours and exuberant paint strokes.
Richard McDiarmid’s artistic journey
Richard's award-winning paintings have been exhibited in solo and group shows, including the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, the Federation of Canadian Artists, the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS), and the Calgary Stampede Artists Studios.
Although he loved drawing cartoons as a child, being an artist wasn't considered a viable way to earn a living, so he pursued his passion for science with a career in mechanical design and engineering. "I reconnected with fine art in the 1970s when my wife and I were on a trip to visit relatives," says Richard. "The trip reignited my interest in painting and learning about painting."
The years that followed saw Richard taking care of his growing family, but he still found time to dedicate to art. He says, "I made a small studio in my living space and took classes at night to develop a toolbox of skills and technical understanding. I also studied art history, which I'd always been interested in."
Finding inspiration and honing his craft
In 1978, he came into contact with the Federation of Canadian Artists. He grew even more inspired, sparking further study in diverse art mediums and part-time work in commercial art galleries. "By the time the eighties rolled around, I was still working in the technical field, but I was painting fiercely at night," he says. "I would come home after work, look after my young kids, and then disappear into the studio, sometimes until two in the morning."
Richard is driven to explore through art, delving into both the physical and emotional worlds. "There's lots of directions I've explored and painted, but more recently, the music theme has really set in. I've enjoyed exploring the responses to what I see and hear from musicians locally and otherwise, and of course, at venues like the jazz and arts festival in Fort Langley."
A deep connection to the Festival
Richard and his wife attend the Festival every year to enjoy the environment, the charming town, the vibrant energy, and, of course, the musical performances. He's also participated in Festival events, including street painting demonstrations. "It was coincidental that when the jazz festival started, I started my journey painting musical themes. The Festival offers a great opportunity for me to gather reference materials for my works."
Many of his musical-themed pieces are inspired by real-life musical subjects and groups of musicians, including the piece chosen to represent the 2025 Festival.
Capturing the essence of music through art
Richard attributes his ability to paint sound to his time developing and studying techniques in design and surfaces. "There are ways to create a quiet, rather subdued surface, and there are ways to make them noisy, whether with shapes, hard edges, or intense colours set in neutrality, or vice versa. I like to start in chaos. I smear and spread and splatter and do various things to the surface. The process in itself creates a sense of chaos and noise."
"Introducing other shapes that relate to the more representational aspects of the musicians is a very intuitive process for me,” he continues. “It involves putting things in and taking them out, manipulating the surface to paint over, paint out, and add things in again."
The honour of representing the 2025 Festival
"I'm very honoured to have this piece represent the Festival this year. Especially at this stage of life, it's a little spark or fuel—a renewal of enthusiasm for creating and exploring this musical theme."
Check out Richard's amazing piece in our 2025 Festival materials, including posters, postcards, programs, street banners, festival tees and more!
Learn more about Richard here → https://paintedlightart.com/ and learn more about the 2025 Festival here → https://www.fortlangleyjazzfest.com/.