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Step into the vivid and imaginative universe of Col Ritchie, a beloved Beaches local and high school Visual Arts teacher with a magic view of the world. From his verandah studio, Col draws, paints, and makes quirky sculptural animals bursting with colour, character, and charm. His work will make you smile, think, and see the everyday with wonder.
After five decades of quietly creating, Seaforth-based artist and high school teacher Col Ritchie is finally stepping into the spotlight — brush in one hand and a ceramic dog sculpture in the other.
Col recently wrapped up his third solo exhibition. While his work is making waves in local galleries like Art Gallery on Avalon Beach, he still spends his weekdays teaching art.
“My teaching has been enhanced by my creative art practice. Teaching is very demanding, but also rewarding. I’m passionate about art and enthusiastic about my students’ work.”
That passion runs deep, and Col has been illustrating, painting, and sculpting since he was a child, growing up in the Southern Suburbs.
“I did my first painting when I was 12, a landscape on a scrap of plaster with a pack of cheap Derivan paints. One of my aunts liked it so much she framed it. That kind of early recognition and encouragement was really important.”
His early art included animals, caricatures of football mascots, custom rock band shirts for schoolmates, and landscapes inspired by the creek near his family home.
“I sold my footy mascot characters — two dollars for a small painting and five for a large.”
A Life in Colour
Though he attended art school after high school, life’s demands got in the way of Col’s creative career. He worked, raised a family, renovated homes, and quietly kept sketching and painting in the background.
“Fifteen years ago, I decided I couldn’t wait until retirement to become the artist I wanted to be. There was only one person who could make it happen.”
Inspired by the prestigious Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prize for landscape painting, Col committed to producing at least one artwork per year.
That rhythm grew momentum, resulting in his first solo show at the Concourse in Chatswood, called BARK — a playful nod to his landscapes and dogs with bark legs.
“I told the curator we’d play Bach (music) at the show. When she saw the dogs, she understood why — so we did,” he smiles.
Col’s now-signature ceramic dogs actually began during the COVID lockdown.
“Some of my students were so disengaged with online learning. The only ones who enjoyed it were the kids showing off their new onesies. When we returned to the classroom, I wanted hands-on projects. We sculpted 10cm dogs, using sticks as legs to stand them up. The class really enjoyed it — so did I — and it grew from there.”
Col made more dogs based on family pets and gifted some to friends. What started as a playful project evolved into a heartfelt body of work that has become an integral part of his art-making practice.
The BARK exhibition featured 62 dogs, alongside atmospheric landscapes inspired by Pittwater and the Blue Mountains.
“Life’s busy as a teacher, but I dedicate time each week to create in my studio, Studio 888. I'm calm and very focused when I'm creating in my studio. Listening to music is an intrinsic part of the process. An eclectic playlist enables me to be 'in the zone' and be totally immersed with my work.”
With more group shows and commissions, Col is embracing this chapter as both artist and teacher.
“It's taken many years, but I’m doing what I was born to do.”
