Passing through Wilmington NC in the early 90’s I met stumbled on a movie company shooting in the old Downtown. A PA waved to me to stop and turning away I met a grizzled, paint-spattered, cigarette smoking troll of a man, paintbrush in hand, concealing himself behind a wall. He turned out to be the Scenic Charge ( a.k.a. Head Painter). He said, “Anyone can do this shit.” I shortly found myself equally well spattered, working on my first movie. The painter became a friend. He lived hard and the life and work took its toll but there are a number of people making a good living today because Bob Testerman taught them how to paint.
Production companies generally came to NC because it cost them less to make movies. They found a capable crew base and would use local talent if it saved the expense of flying someone in. I was offered opportunities to try many things and handling those was offered more. Lucky for me I had friends who could coach me through the projects I agreed to do.
I have experience and credits as Scenic Artist, Scenic Charge, Storyboard Artist, Concept Artist, and Sculptor, as well as Art Director and Designer on a few projects. Storyboard work indicated in Bold.
I have left the business several times, but I keep coming back. Currently I live and work out of New Mexico and I am available for commissions or hire. Have Paintbrush, Will Travel.
Feature Film and Television 1990 – 2009
* Cowboys and Aliens - painter
* Paul – paint dept. gang boss
* Book of Eli – scenic artist
* Georgia O’Keefe – scenic artist
* Run for her Life – scenic artist
* Army Wives, (episode 1, A Tribe Is Born )– hero art
* The List – hero art
* The Notebook – storyboard artist
* Idlewild – scenic artist
* Loggerheads – art director
* A Walk to Remember – storyboard artist
* Black Knight – scenic artist
* The In Crowd – scenic artist
* Freedom Song – concept artist/storyboards
* Holy Joe – storyboard artist
* Muppets from Space – scenic artist, sculptor
* Elmo in Grouchland – scenic artist, storyboards
* Body Count –scenic charge/head painter
* Country Justice –scenic charge/head painter
* Best Friends for Life –scenic charge/head painter
* Justice in a Small Town –scenic charge/head painter
* Blue River – hero art, landscape painting coach
* Deceiver –scenic charge/head painter
* The Grave –scenic charge/head painter
* My Teacher’s Wife (Learning Curve) – storyboard artist, murals
* Empire Records – concept artist, storyboard artist
* Once Upon a Time…When We Were Colored – illustrator
* Sophie and the Moon-hanger - storyboard artist
* Fall Time – illustrations
* The Crow – scenic artist (for model shop)
* Radioland Murders – “art dept. special projects”: Radioland stage backdrop, scenery
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 – costume drawings (for casting purposes)
* Rambling Rose – backdrops
* Alan and Naomi – quick sketch street artist
* Secrets from The Rose Garden – scenic artist
* Amos and Andrew – set painter, hero art
Episodic TV
* One Tree Hill – scenic artist, backdrops
* Dawson’s Creek – illustration, storyboards & backdrops
* American Gothic – concept art, main set mural design & execution, storyboards
* Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – storyboards & murals
* The Road Home – set painting, storyboards & backdrops
Other film work (as painter/scenic artist)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood • Hudsucker Proxy • Road to Wellville • Twilight Zone: Rod Serling’s Lost Classics • Super Mario Brothers • This World, then the Fireworks • Vault of Love • Face on a Milk Carton • Margaret Mitchell Story • One of Her Own • Leave of Absence • In a Child’s Name • Bastard Out of Carolina • Twilight Man • Kiss the Girls • Aunt Julia • Betsy’s Wedding • A Kiss Before Dying
Commercials
* Nickelodeon, storyboards; Gatorade, storyboards; Nickelodeon, art director, Sponge Bob commercial; Carolina Power & Light, scenic artist, Direct TV, scenic artist
Painting Churches
• Paint & Restoration, Trinity Church, Copley Sq., Boston, Mass
• Chapel Design for Maryknoll Sisters, Leon, Nicaragua
• Caretaker, Friends Meeting House, Wilmington, NC
• Sanctuary Mural for Presbyterian Church, Manaus, Brazil
Education
• Vesper George School, Commercial Art and Illustration, Boston, MA
• Museum School, Boston: figure drawing, film animation
• private study: Bob Cormier, Director, Guild School of the Guild of Boston Artists
• B.S. Art Therapy, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
• 2.5 years toward MFA in Studio Arts from ECU, Greenville NC
rickmobbs.com : online gallery of paintings, drawings, sculpture, political art, assemblage
rickmobbs.wordpress.com/the-storybook-collaborative : where every week for ten months in 2008 I posted original narrative images as prompts for writers and collected and published the submissions.