RICK KERSTEN's life and his art have been
interwoven since he was a child growing up in
Arizona. "It was clear to me, at a very young
age, what I wanted to do. I just wanted to create
things, whether it was paintings, sculpture,
book illustration, greeting card art, murals,
cartoon strips, designing stores and
restaurants or decorating bulletin boards for my
daughter-in-law/teacher. I truly love what I do."

Rick obtained his art training through a variety
of life experiences. During his formal training at
Arizona State University, he worked in many
advertising agencies in the Phoenix area and
also freelanced as an artist for the popular
television show "Wallace and Ladmo." In his
senior year at the university, Rick was
commissioned by Del Webb Corp. to create
paintings for their hotels and restaurants.

After ASU, Rick found himself in the Navy
during the Vietnam War, where he did many
paintings and illustrations of life in Vietnam, the
Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
Many of these illustrations were published in
the Navy Times newspaper. While in the
Philippines, he completed a mural for the main
administration building on the Subic Bay Naval
base.

Upon returning to Arizona, Rick and his brother
Pete, formed Kersten Brothers Studios, a
design studio that specialized in product
designs for the retail market. This eventually
grew into Kersten Brothers Greeting Cards, a
production, sales and distribution company with
more than 9,000 accounts in the United States
and 14 foreign countries.

In 1985, the publishing and distribution part of
the business was sold. Rick is still involved in
licensing Kersten Brother's artwork, but his
primary focus is now doing what he loves most,
painting the southwest.