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Boston Globe

At a studio promoting careers for those with disabilities, he uses art to express what his words won't

'I like the opportunities that they give to discover and try different art and different things that I never tried before,' he said of Gateway. In July, the agency moved to a new space on Station Street in Brookline, which includes a store selling artwork (Gateway artists receive a 50 percent commission), an expanded gallery space, and several communal studios. Advertisement Richards's art practice helps him express feelings he can't always find words for. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'When I try to talk to people, it's not coming out the way the words are coming out,' he said in a Gateway video. 'But when I do it with my art, it makes much more sense.' A mixed-media piece by artist Darryl Richards at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Where to find him : Age : 32 Originally from : Boston Lives in : Stoughton Making a living : Richards, who lives with his mother, takes commissions from private buyers. He sells his art through Gateway and his own website, Artist Darryl Richards holds a painting called 'Sun Bloom Flowers' at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Studio : Every artist has their own workspace in Gateway's communal studios. At his, Richards keeps a sketchbook with realistic portraits of characters from movies, along with recently finished works. He also makes art in his bedroom at home. Advertisement How he started : In an afterschool program when he was 5, Richards met a teacher, Mr. Black, who was a street artist. 'I said, 'You know, I want to try and do that,'' Richards remembers. 'He got me a piece of paper and I asked him, 'Can you teach me how to draw?' He taught me how to draw a face first. He had to draw the guidelines to where the nose, the eyes, the mouth is, and the ears. He broke it down piece by piece.' His first effort, he said, was drawing the anime character Lino cuts called 'Flowers Bloom' by artist Darryl Richards at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff What he makes : Richards 'likes the feeling of' color, he said. A recent anime-style patterned painting in vibrant pink depicts a man and a woman. It tells a story: 'This is me as a warrior that's basically protecting these people in this land,' Richards said. 'And I die in battle. She is the goddess of the wilderness, and she collected me to take me home in peace and Paradise.' How he works : 'I look at the gradients when I'm drawing people,' Richards said. 'I draw first and then I get the color down.' Advice for artists : 'To be an artist, you have to study. Learn hard. Be patient, and work at your best,' he said. 'The more you work on your art, the more you accomplish.' Artist Darryl Richards picks up a ball of yarn as he works to create a tufted rug at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff