Since graduating high school in 2015, Taddeus Retz has been in pursuit of his personal muse. Chasing the light and painting by day, he studies masterworks by night. He has travelled the country studying with professional artists like Mark Boedges, and John Burton. He has sold his work internationally and teaches workshops around the U.S. Primarily self-taught, this young artist is consumed by a passion to paint. It is not always the subject matter that captures his interest, but the way light reacts to the objects and the environment. According to Retz, “I am inspired by past artists such as John Sargent, George Bellows, and Winslow Homer. Being able to capture the essence of a scene with deliberate, expressive brush strokes ignites the drive in me. I believe the most successful paintings in this style were the result of studying in the natural environment.” For artists looking at Retz’s work, it is his “unerring sense of design, color, and markmaking” that makes his work so compelling to his audience. It is also with Retz’s firm belief to paint from life that imbues his work with expressive energy and life.