Abstract Paths: How Chance Encounters Shaped Rich Godfrey’s Artistic Journey

Written by TJ Shockley

Images via the artist's website

Life’s most transformative moments often arise from pure chance, simply a case of being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes, everyday moments and encounters hold potential to open unexpected doors, redirecting our paths in surprising ways. For artist Rich Godfrey, these twists of fate have helped to define his journey — from the fast-paced world of graphic design in New York and Atlanta to an unanticipated home in Columbus. Like the sweeping strokes of one of his abstract paintings, Rich’s life is marked by opportunities that were never part of the plan yet somehow led him to exactly where he needed to be.

Mr. Murphy owns the farm next door

27 X 36 | Oil and Charcoal | On view at Highland Galerie, Columbus, GA

A Childhood Spark: Discovering Art at a Young Age

Rich’s artistic journey began early in life, largely thanks to his mother’s determination to find him a creative outlet. As a young boy in Indianapolis, Rich was interested in art, and his mother was determined to get him out of the house. She reached out to a local abstract expressionist painter to mentor him. “My teacher was a really well-established abstract expressionist from New York who happened to marry somebody who lived in Indianapolis,” Rich remembers. While the artist was initially hesitant to take on a student, his mother’s persistence paid off — the first in a series of events that would shape Rich’s life. "My mom was really persuasive, and this lady taught me for four years—every Saturday, for four years," he recalls. 

Those four years of Saturday lessons sparked a love of painting, which prompted Rich to attend Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. But like many young artists, he began to have practical concerns about making a living as a painter. During his time at Ringling, he made the pivot to graphic design. "I wanted to be a painter, but I realized, ‘If I’m not going to make any money painting, I’ve got to switch over to something else,’" he explained. This realization would set the stage for a successful career in design, one that would set him on another path to unexpected places.

Strolling down the Hudson | 27 X 36 | Oil and Charcoal On view at Highland Galerie, Columbus, GA

From Art School to New York: The Start of a Design Career

After shifting his focus to graphic design, Rich worked at an art supply store in his spare time. The store’s owner was friends with someone at a local design firm. This chance connection landed Rich his first design job at just 19 years old. "I was making layouts with all the old-school tools like T-squares and French curves," Rich remembers. “I just thought everything was so interesting.”

But it wasn’t long before another fortuitous encounter occurred. A visiting creative director from Home Box Office (HBO) happened to see some of Rich’s work on the walls of his art school and offered him a job after he finished school. At the age of 21, that opportunity took Rich from Sarasota to New York, where he soon had his own office working in HBO’s bustling creative department. 

Pioneering Digital Design in the Big Apple with Apple

In the mid-1980s, while still working for HBO, Rich became one of the early adopters of Apple’s new Macintosh computer. At HBO, Rich’s boss was intrigued by the potential of personal computing, particularly in the design world. "He was convinced that Macs were going to change the world," Rich recalls. With this forward-thinking attitude, Rich’s boss purchased Macs for the entire team and even hired someone to train them.

Always one for a challenge, Rich dove headfirst into learning how to use the new technology. “At that time, there was really nothing you could do with them. They were pretty limited, but my boss asked me to take the lead on how we could turn this into something we could use,” Rich recalls. Through determination and skill, he learned to use MacDraw, the earliest drawing application released for the first Macintosh systems, to design one of the earliest posters created on a Macintosh computer for Cinemax, a sister company of HBO. That poster later became part of Apple’s traveling exhibits, a testament to Rich’s pioneering work in digital design.

And though graphic design consumed much of his time, Rich continued to paint, especially during slower periods at work. “I would go for a year or so and paint, but something would happen and I’d get out of it for a couple of years.” However, he still found himself inspired by the art scene in New York during his 20s and 30s, appreciating the works of Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. “You get influenced by those people. I see something that’s really cool, and it influences you. Can I make that into something that’s my thing?”

Social Circles 34 X 46 | Oil and Charcoal

The Southeast and the Olympics: A New Chapter

Despite his success in New York, Rich eventually sought a change, taking his talent with graphic design and computers to Atlanta in the late 1980s. It wasn’t long before he found himself involved in some major projects: developing the presentation for Atlanta’s successful Olympic and Super Bowl bids. "I worked at Copeland Design, and we ended up getting the Olympics. It was really cool to be part of that," Rich reflects. He later owned his own award-winning design firm and did work for several multinational companies and famous brands. 

However, it was during this time that Rich noticed how the graphic design world became more isolated and less collaborative. The social, hands-on aspects of design that once inspired him – the days of drawing boards, T-squares and French curves — had started to disappear, leaving him feeling disconnected from the work. 

Discovering Columbus: A Random Stop with Lasting Impact

Eventually, Rich found himself back in Sarasota, his creative energy all but dried up. He was still working as a graphic designer, and he was no longer expressing himself creatively through his painting. And to make life more challenging, the local art scene didn’t excite him. " I didn’t even care to get involved. I didn’t paint the whole time I was there," he admits. It seemed his days of painting might be behind him—until a chance visit to Columbus changed everything.

Around 2019, Rich and his partner Kim Dodd (another emerging artist in photography and woodworking) stopped in Columbus on a whim during a road trip. They were immediately struck by the kindness of the people and the city’s hidden artistic potential. "From the people on the street to even the front desk at the hotel where we were staying, the people here were so nice. There was just something about the place that felt right," Rich recalls. “We’re like, ‘We can make friends here.’” Soon after, they made the decision to move to Columbus.

Columbus Skyline

34 X 46 | Oil and Charcoal

Planting Roots in a New Creative Home

Once in Columbus, Rich found himself reconnecting with his love of painting, gradually rebuilding his confidence as an artist. It took time, but the support of Columbus’ art community and a chance conversation with an old friend gave him the push he needed. He called Stephen Parker, the former owner of O’karma Gallery in Atlanta, and shared some of his recent work. “He said, ‘I think you’re onto something.’ That was all I needed to hear," Rich shares.

Rich has now taken what he has learned throughout his life, from those chance encounters of working with an abstract expressionist teacher to the happenstance of working in New York on the early Macintosh computers amidst a bustling art scene, to create a style that is uniquely his own. His work feels deeply personal yet invitingly open to interpretation, blending recognizable forms with abstract, intuitive elements. 

Waiting for the Next Chance Encounter

Since moving to Columbus in 2020, Rich has become an active member of the local art community, joining the Columbus Artists’ Guild and showing his work at local galleries and interior design studios. His distinctive style, blending abstract forms with playful elements, continues to evolve with each new piece. He also enjoys the collaborative nature of Columbus’ art scene, supporting other local artists and reigniting his passion for creating. Rich is excited to see where his work will take him next. "Here, everybody supports everybody. It doesn’t feel competitive. It’s been very fun," he says. 

For Rich Godfrey, Columbus has become the creative home he never knew he needed. What began as a random stop on a road trip has turned into the place where his artistic voice has found new life, thanks to the city’s warmth, kindness and passion for the arts. His journey is a testament to the power of chance, where an unexpected turn has allowed him to reconnect with his love for painting and embrace the unknown. His next brushstroke is shaped by the freedom to explore — a freedom that Columbus has only deepened. 

You can find Rich’s work on display at Highland Galerie or find more on his website at richgodfrey.com.