Biography By Richard A. Posa 2018

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In my Last 56 Years of existence, I’ve dabbled and obsessed in many visual, mental, physical, spiritual and dig in the dirt media. Some battles have been won, practiced and honed, and some are as yet unmastered or or even realized.

GROWING UP 

As a inquisitive and adventurous child, I would watch my visually and creatively obsessed Hungarian - Canadian father, work like a mad man chiseling away at 5 ton blocks of marble. For hours I’d watch him from the roof of the shop and the noise would usually wake me up on the weekends. He created small to giant sculptures from dozens of materials, as well as the strange machines that built them. They all probably still exist because he loved building them like a,“brick out house”. For the better part of 15 years, he would cast his own bronzes a few times a year. Behind a 10Lb leather apron, If I was lucky enough, I’d have my finger on the button of the crane that held the molten pot of bronze. He would scream, “up, up, up, down, hold it!” When he needed to get materials, go to the city to see clients or the galleries, he would ask me to go with him and I always said yes. I knew there would be a new crack or crevice of Toronto that I hadn’t seen before. My gentle but firm German–Canadian loving mother was always in the yard weeding and planting her ever expanding free flowing gardens. In addition to the large back breaking vegetable garden, she would also brave the black raspberries in the bush. She would sometimes ask me to get one of these, and two of that for lunch or dinner and I would quickly return evading the bombarding mosquitoes. Coming home from school she was always in the kitchen and even before I opened the door, sometimes I’d smell the scrumptious meal that would await the family. While going out and about with my mother and two older sisters, she was always keeping our values and manners in check. Although playing and running around were OK, outbursts were not tolerated. Still we must have driven her nuts sometimes. My sisters would always tease me and sometimes get me in trouble but always stuck up for me out side the home. I feel lucky to have had some insight into the opposite sex that a sister-less guy wouldn’t have had. Growing up in the country around Oakville with natural and sometimes industrial surroundings, was a little isolating from friends but I would always find some thing to do. There was modeling 10 lbs of clay from my dad, whittling sticks or playing in the abandoned barns or smelly pond out back. One of my most anticipated times in my young life, was waiting for the new issue of Popular Science Magazine, that my father subscribed to. The new and inventive ideas would make me fantasize about what I might be able to conjure up in the future. I must add there’s been many more than I previously thought.

TEENS

In my teen years, I realized that I was a little different never mind being the smallest. I tried to fit in the best I could and my outspoken spunky attitude won me the nick name “Little Richard Posa”. I indulged in anything I could do with my hands and materials, especially drafting, metal fabrication and welding. I had 2 years of art class and the teacher would be a little frustrated or concerned about the unusual directions I would go in. At 15 I got my first real job at the Golden Griddle restaurant as a dish washer, by 18 I was the kitchen manager for a few years.

COLLEGE & FIRST FEW YEARS

In my high school graduating year, bored with my math class, I sketched and doodled after quickly doing my assignments. This solidified my decision to take Art Fundamentals at Sheridan college located a few miles down the road. My father then told me, “I’ll kick your ass if you go into fine arts”. That convinced me to take Illustration.. I graduated 3 years later at the top of my class. When I finished school I came to the horrifying realization that the invading computer age was somewhat destroying & transforming the traditional illustration industry and many jobs or opportunities that presented itself was computer oriented. Since my computer training was nil, I was in for a battle for the next 2 years just struggling to exist. Then I moved to Toronto with a firm grip on my resentment for computers and my will to prove myself with my own two hands. I worked in construction, in an art supply store, even security in the late night dance halls for a while, since I was now one of the taller guys around. At the same time I freelanced, doing large paintings and some print work in the sometimes morally challenging advertising industry. 

LASER QUEST ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

I was then willingly kidnapped by a company for 5 years as their head illustrator, designer and painting slave. They took care of me and I did right by them all over North America including one memorable trip to Costa Rica. After 200 or so times on and off an airplane, 300 rolls of film on a 35 year old fish-eye Pentax, I returned home to Oakville, with a incredible mountain of experiences.

BACK AT HOME IN OAKVILLE

Once back to my roots in Oakville I transformed my fathers old sculpting studio into a 1000 sqft apartment & working Studio. While shopping my portfolio, I was offered a job as project manager for a Design/Build company. After a year and some high profile clients, I realized that, “hands off” and being responsible for everything and in control of nothing was not for me. Besides, my cuticles were too perfect and I hadn’t busted a knuckle or gotten my hands dirty in a long time. Returning to freelance  I then produced a large body of work. From 30' sculptures to large murals, most of which were personally very fulfilling. Then over the next few years, I had lost the passion to paint other peoples ideas and felt the need to develop and create beautiful things from within me. The big question is what?

WOOD OBSESSION STARTS 

One day in the early spring of 2003 at the Oakville log dump lot, I went to salvage a giant great grandfather tree trunk. It was lying still, unwanted and rotting away. I always loved working with wood and had done many little projects with it but never looked at it as a medium to obsess over until I cut into a 4' dia, 10' long maple log with my little 16" chainsaw. It took me hours to cut off one 6ft piece. When it fell to the ground, on a thick bed of shavings, it revealed the beautiful colour, flowing natural lines and patterns inside. I was hooked!. I no longer looked at wood as just my heating bill. Within days I purchased a 3 ft, 5 hp chainsaw and went back repeatedly with passion, sometimes 3 or 4 days a week. I would cut slabs of oak 4" thick, 2' to 3' wide and up to 9' long and there was plenty of firewood left over. I didn’t stop till winter and even then I would sometimes go out in 2 ft of snow to cut up and drag home giant slabs and beams. My poor little truck suffered for future furniture and sculptures. Sometimes my neighbour, a wood obsessed man himself, would come by knowing I was there. He would see me sitting in a pile of shavings exhausted with a 2 ton pile of logs cut up. He’d laugh and shake his head slowly and help me load and bring them home to the studio. That January I broke my Talus bone in my ankle playing volleyball. I was unable to move around much and I was sick of watching day time TV so this started the next indulgence "ABSTRACT SCULPTURE! Over the next 3 months I roughed out 57 Sculptures. All year I would be consistently be sitting in knee high deep pile of wood chips and covered in dust to reveal the beauty of these old souls. I had clearly now understood why my father loved doing abstract sculpture. I showed my works in several Galleries and Design shows for the next few years.

FROM OAKVILLE TO HALTON HILLS

In 2006 I bought a little shitty house on 3/4 of an acre north of Oakville in Halton Hills Ontario. Over the last20 years I rebuilt my home to be 50% more efficient and customized it with a lot of beautiful wood. I also eliminated 95% of the lawn a planted edible gardens and grow a lot of food and spices. Finally I custom renovated my new Shop/Studio to be able to work on large pieces and a wide variety of fabrication techniques. Since moving HOLT RENFREW dominated my work and challenged me for 15 years with a 150 different projects.

THE COVID YEARS

In some ways my life was better during covid mainly because I had a big garden to take care of and repairs to do on my house and studio. Putting in 300+ 2ft x 2ft concrete patio tiles throughout the property kept me busy and motivated. Work on the other hand was non existent in most fields I work in except for being a pig roast chef during the summers.

IN THE PRESENT 

I will always be creating props and furniture for others, at the same time my creative goals now are to concentrate on sculpting, building and growing. I will continue sculpting a new series of sculptures from a 6ft diameter log and searching for a place to show them in 2027.  In 2026 I am looking forward to working on my 25ft long by 4ft wide solid oak sculpted garden table in what I like to call the Table Tunnel. The device free feasts will be memorable.  This will also be my first time having chickens and of course they had to be the biggest, 7 jersey giants.  Public & Urban projects are on my list to contribute back to the greater good. #1 is to continue to enjoy and share my ever evolving garden and love affair with nature.

Like most people these days I struggle with all my passions, there are not enough hours in the day. Still everyday I absorb nature’s beauty and life’s compounding memorable insights and experiences with an eclectic loving family at arms reach. 

I hope you will find something in my work which gives you pleasure and perhaps piques your curiosity.

Thank you for your TIME.

RICHARD A. POSA

Characteristics   

Future-oriented, Problem solver, Systematic, Likes Parameters, Persistent, Uses precise technical language, Variety of interests, Dislikes injustice, Interested in theory, Thrives on challenge, Likes to explore, Need relevant tasks, Visionary, Strives for output, Interested in technology, and Creative thinker. 

Values     

Green Living, Life style autonomy,  Objectivity, Logic, Rationality, Intelligence, Recognition, Accuracy, Wisdom, Acknowledgment, Answers, Competence  and Efficiency. 

Skills  
Researching, Designing, Inventing, Developing models, Analyzing, Problem solving, Diagnosing, Exploring Ideas, Planning, Strategizing, Abstract thinking, Reasoning, and Handling Complexity. 

Personal Interests,

0-E homes, Unique Furniture Design,  Gardening, Cooking and Kitchen Stuff, 2nd hand & repurpossing things, Volleyball, Yoga, Chainsaw milling logs, Exploring unique Landscapes, Learning Ancient Civilization, Evolution,Science of the body & animals and Observing natures ways. 

Need to develop

Networking, Marketing, New Relationship building, Sharing ideas and Contributing to the Greater Good.

Idealizes   

Leonardo Da Vinci

David Suzuki

R Buckminster Fuller

Frank Lloyd Wright

Mentors

Natures #1, 

Andrew K. Posa, Sculptor, Father

Susanne Shaw, Senior Visual Manager, Holt Renfrew.

Anthony Robbins, Motivational Expert