About Jeff Riffle

Born and raised in the states, Jeff has a BFA from Frostburg State University, Maryland. He moved to Toronto from Ohio in 2010. Having a BFA and graphic design background continues to have a strong influence on his art. He likes playing with scale, off setting positioning and colour combinations that wouldn’t necessarily belong in nature. A modern almost abstract and exaggerated take on still life painting that creates a new exciting look at our environment.

Flora and Fauna:

His process starts with a camera. Using his own photographs of nature he sketches by hand and digitally to get the right composition. Acrylic is his medium of choice. Loving the preciseness and quickness to dry lends itself perfectly to Jeff’s style of painting. He says the most fun part of the process is developing the colour palette for each painting before ever putting brush to canvas.

Cuckoo Clocks:

He has experimented with and painted cuckoo clocks for years but has remained faithful to his love of flora and fauna until this year when he took his signature style, use of colour and once again turned his interest to time. Interest that of course has been amplified do to the global pandemic and quarantine when all we had was time to think about. His approach is to research and take certain aphorisms around time and translate them into versions of the classic cuckoo clock.

"Cuckoo’s are whimsical, playful, as well at times, strange and intriguing. They can be a terrific hieroglyph. Cuckoo clocks are steeped in history which can ground you in the present but make you think of the past and hopefully look forward to the future. I want my clocks to tell a story.”

Consortium:

"The octopus saved me. Weird statement I know. During the Covid lockdowns I found myself struggling artistically on all levels. I felt inspiration had all but dried up. It was frustrating and heartbreaking. One day while cleaning my studio waiting for that elusive lightning bolt of inspiration to hit I came across a list I had made of animals I’d like to one day paint. Animals not being my usual subject matter, I thought now’s as good a time as any, nothing else seems to be working. The first on the list was, you guessed it, an octopus. BOOM! INSPIRATION HAD STRUCK! It was love at first brush stroke. The colour combinations, beauty of movement and organic gracefulness make these exciting and fun to create. That is how this current series was launched and how an octopus saved my trust in my own art."