About

Jim teaches a location sketching workshop in Havana during the 2015 "Sketch Cuba with James Richards" tour.

James Richards' work crosses many creative boundaries.  He is an artist, urban designer, concept designer, author, educator and traveler whose work explores great places and placemaking around the globe.  He is co-founder of Townscape Inc., an award-winning urban design consultancy focused on smart growth and great placemaking for cities, towns, districts and special sites. He is a frequent keynote speaker for conferences and symposia, and he travels globally to teach design drawing and urban sketching workshops for both students and professionals. 

Jim is a blog correspondent and serves on the international Advisory Board for Urban Sketchers.  His travel art has appeared in solo and group exhibitions, most recently in Havana and Moscow. His solo exhibition "Hemingway's Cuba" was shown in Finca Vigia, Hemingway's home outside Havana (now a national museum) during the 2015 Havana Art Biennial.  Richards is the first American to show an exhibition at the Nobel Prize-winning author's home.

Jim's book, Freehand Drawing and Discovery, was published by John Wiley & Sons, and won a national Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in 2014.  His second book for Wiley, on creativity and design thinking, is scheduled for release in 2017.  He is a recipient of ASLA’s Bradford Williams Medal for his magazine articles on drawing and creativity.  In 2016, he received the prestigious President's Medal from the ASLA.  The citation read, in part:  "As a dynamic volunteer, thought leader, and pioneer in re-introducing the importance of sketching to the profession, Jim has influenced Landscape Architecture in a profound way.  His roles...help engage and educate Landscape Architects in a way that provokes action and provides joy."

As a former senior executive in the energy industry and a background in electrical engineering, Patti Richards brings indispensable technical and management skills our creative efforts.  She oversees the studio's operations, management, and travel logistics, and assists with on-site workshops.  

A savvy world traveler, she has planned and guided our efforts in major cities, rural towns and remote villages on four continents.

Shooting "Sketching the Energy of Places" on-location with Craftsy film crew in Denver.