Sam Richardson was primarily known in the early '60's as a painter. An increased interest in the surfaces of his paintings led him to begin shaping and forming in three dimensions rather than relying on painted illusion.  Critics have noted that Sam Richardson’s innovated sculptures of the 1960s and 1970s helped push the boundaries of the evolving landscape art genre.  In 2007, the critic Michael S. Grant commented that in the exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art entitled De-natured, that Richardson’s 1969 sculpture Most of That Iceberg Is Below the Water, anticipates our global-warming worries.

During his visits to Tandem Press, Sam has explored the relationships between interiors and exteriors. He was created an elegant array of prints with imagery that is reminiscent of some of his early landscape works that have been recognized for their extraordinary innovation. These prints show Richardson’s use of various printmaking techniques, including collage and hand-coloring by the artist.  He also embarked on creating autobiographical work, recalling scenes from his youth but depicting the imagery in a universal way.