Ricky Watts
Ricky Watts blends street art with refined abstraction in vibrant murals across the U.S.
Richard “Ricky” Watts (b. 1980, San Francisco, California) is an artist whose work bridges street art roots with refined abstraction through a unique paint layering process. Influenced early by cartoons, skate graphics, and comic books, he discovered aerosol art in the mid-1990s and began painting large-scale works up throughout California. A graphic design graduate from The Advertising Arts College in San Diego, Watts spent a decade in the print industry while continuing to develop his studio practice. His early explorations ranged from bio-mechanical imagery to detailed illustration, eventually leading to his signature style: “hard-edge gradients.” Introduced in 2012, this approach deconstructs the typography of his aerosol background into luminous, layered fields of color marking a pivotal shift toward abstraction. Watts’ process is deliberate and structured. Each composition is built from six carefully chosen hues that transition seamlessly from light to dark, creating depth, rhythm and movement. Though primarily abstract, his work occasionally hints at landscapes or natural forms, grounding the viewer in something both familiar and imagined. As a left-handed painter, he often works backwards across the wall. His gradients become meditations on transition, inviting viewers to experience harmony, energy and a sense of wonder within shifting tones. Today, Watts’ murals and paintings appear throughout the United States, with clients including Google, Louis Vuitton, LinkedIn, and Outside Lands Music Festival. He currently works from his Northern California studio while raising energetic twins.
Labyrinth of Radiance
This artwork by Ricky Watts is an explosion of vibrant, swirling colors and forms that create an abstract and dynamic mural on a building wall.
View this mural
Arts Fest Montana
This vibrant mural by Ricky Watts features a dynamic array of colorful, swirling shapes and abstract forms that create a sense of movement and energy.
View this mural
AHF Mural
Curated by Branded Arts, this project was produced for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Berkeley, California.
View this mural
Modesto Children's Museum
This vibrant mural by Ricky Watts features playful monarch butterflies amidst swirling colors, towering mushrooms, and a lively caterpillar on a blue sky background.
View this mural
Galleria Garage Mural
Created for the Wide Open Walls Mural Festival in Sacramento, CA. This mural by Ricky Watts features vibrant, swirling abstract forms in a spectrum of colors, creating a dynamic and eye-catching pattern on the side of a building.
View this mural
Beach Shack Mural
This mural by Ricky Watts features a dynamic, swirling pattern of blue and purple waves, creating a sense of movement and fluidity on the building's facade.
View this mural
West End Mural Festival
Collaboration with world renowned muralist, BACON. This vibrant mural by Ricky Watts features a serene profile of a woman with swirling, colorful waves and abstract forms suggesting movement and energy.
View this mural
SERVCO HQ Mural
This artwork by Ricky Watts features a vibrant mural with swirling, layered patterns of green, blue, and purple, evoking a surreal landscape.
View this mural
City of Angels
Mural curated by WXLLSPACE. This vibrant exterior painting by Ricky Watts features swirling, layered patterns in warm earth tones and cool blues, creating a dynamic, abstract landscape.
View this muralCheck out other
amazing artists
