Story & Lesson Highlights with Richard J Oliver of West Hills

Richard J Oliver shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Richard J, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. When was the last time you felt true joy?
The last time I felt true joy was yesterday, standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon. It was my first time visiting, and I could hardly comprehend the vastness and wild beauty before me. As the evening light settled over the canyon, tears filled my eyes, tears of pure gratitude and wonder at simply being alive in that moment.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Richard J. Oliver, and I am a painter originally from Wales, now based in Los Angeles. My work is rooted in landscape painting, inspired by the dramatic coastlines of California, the deserts of Arizona and Utah, the mountains of Colorado, and the French countryside from the north all the way down to Provence.

A central part of my practice is plein air painting, which means working directly from life. When I travel across Europe or the United States, I carry a small pochade box in my backpack, set up my canvas outdoors, and paint in oils on location. These studies are more than visual records, they carry with them the full experience of being present: the sounds, the scents, the light, and my own state of mind in that moment.

Back in the studio, these impressions become the foundation of larger works. A camera can show me what a place looked like, but painting allows me to express how it felt to stand there. That emotional translation is what makes the work unique, and it is what I hope people connect with when they see my paintings.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I am not sure the world has ever told me who I had to be, or if it did, I never really listened. I studied for my degree and master’s in fine art and followed my heart first into painting, then into the music scene, where I spent ten years touring the world with a rock band. When my soul called me back, I returned to painting, at first with figurative work, and in 2019 my spirit guided me toward nature, where I began painting directly from life. That shift opened me to the solitude, balance, and harmony that only the natural world can offer.

Apart from giving back by teaching group fitness classes at a local gym, helping others in their own journeys, I have never really worked a conventional job. In many ways the world has had little influence over who I am. I have simply followed the thread of my passions, and they have shaped me far more than any external expectation ever could.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
After failing hard, I changed my mind about what really matters in life. For a long time I chased the usual measures of success, thinking that achievement, recognition, and self-interest would bring fulfillment. When those things eventually felt hollow, I realised that what I truly longed for was not status or accomplishment, but meaning. Failure stripped away the illusions and showed me that joy comes from living with honesty and authenticity, from giving myself to relationships, community, and a sense of service. What once felt like loss has become the opening into a deeper and more genuine way of being alive.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is not the whole of who I am. In Jungian terms, much of what people see is what he called the provisional personality, a kind of mask we develop in childhood to feel safe and to meet the world’s expectations. Mine was shaped by fear, by the need to belong, and by the pressures of performing. During my years in the band, that mask became even stronger. I learned to project an image, to deliver a performance, to be what others expected rather than what I truly was.

Now, in the second half of life, I am working to let that mask fall away. The real me is not the public face but the soul version beneath it, the self that is more honest, unguarded, and whole. It is a slow process of unlearning, but it is also the most meaningful work I have ever done.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had ten years left, I would immediately stop worrying about the things that are beyond my control. I would also stop the endless pursuit of material success and the illusion that it can deliver lasting happiness. Instead, I would turn my focus toward what truly matters: time spent with the people I love, nurturing the relationships that give life meaning, and living with greater presence and gratitude. I would seek more simplicity, more authenticity, and more moments of joy, knowing that in the end it is love and connection, not possessions or status, that endure. I’m already prioritizing these aspects but the journey is ongoing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://richardjoliver.com
• Instagram: @richardjoliverpleinair
• Twitter: RJOlivergallery
• Facebook: richardjolivergallery
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbBn61tExEW_NtMpRWpLyiQ

Image Credits
Richard J Oliver