A mindful 30-year journey has led Nashville artist Edward Rittenberg to a highly respected position among artists with a national presence. Decades in the making, it wasn’t until a few short years ago that Edward took the leap from painting for personal enjoyment to inviting the public in by way of juried art shows and commission pieces. The reception was resoundingly positive and a second chapter was ignited.

Today, his impressionistic impasto pieces are displayed in esteemed private collections and exhibited in some of the country’s most prestigious galleries. Rittenberg’s journey began with the seed of an idea that has blossomed into a devoted following.

Each creator is pulled to a subject matter in a way that is as unique as the signature on the canvas. And although an artist tells a story through his or her work, the goal is the lingering conversation. Edward’s conversation begins with a flower.

His breathtaking interpretation of flowers sets him apart, giving the viewer both an emotional injection from color as well as the ability to experience the “soul” of something so pure and timeless…so humble. Without a doubt, Rittenberg invites you to walk in a garden of a very different nature.

Inherent in all of Edward’s work is his masterful use of heavy-body acrylics. This medium, applied with a variety of tools, molds his subject into graceful expressions of abundant joy. Rittenberg’s flowers, under the skillful guidance of palette knives, brushes, spoons and other instruments, display a personality and a language all their own.

What is most obvious, and not often stated, is that Rittenberg is having fun. The ideas. The process. The experimentation. The transformation of a blank canvas into something that feeds the imagination. And ultimately, the look on the face of someone who is seeing Edward’s masterful pieces for the first time.