Denton County Magazine • May June 23 • ARTISTRY EXCELLENCE

Denton artist Randall Good has gained a following across the country and abroad.

Randall M. Good is climbing to new heights in his career, and the ladder of success he is currently using happens to be a scaffold.

“Michelangelo is my idol,” said Good, who lives in Denton. “I’ve been called a modern-day Renaissance painter, but if I have to best define my work, it would be Neo- Mannerist. A late Renaissance style, it places the human form in expressive, exaggerated poses. The body is central to every piece I do, and I develop figures that are stretched, elongated, even tortured.”

His work focuses on deeply expressive, impassioned human images and symbols in the vein of Judeo-Christian art, and Greek and Roman mythology. He even creates his own mythical stories and creations with respect to the likes of Homer’s Iliad. Good uses several forms of media: oils, watercolor, charcoal, graphite, pastels and gold leaf.

A graduate of the University of North Texas with a bachelor of fine arts degree, he officially launched his art career in 1999. “A gallery in Hot Springs, Arkansas, opened the door to my first significant commission piece,” Good said. “Fourteen Stations of the Cross – The Passion of the Christ” is permanently displayed at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Hope, Arkansas.

Good’s work hangs on the walls of galleries, businesses and private residences across the United States, as well as Italy and England, yet never on a ceiling. Enter Dentonites Jim and Joy Sibley, world travelers who found his body of work compatible with their tastes in art as well as their extensive collection of international artifacts. This is where the scaffold comes in.

To accomplish the daunting task of painting on a 6-by- 12-foot domed ceiling, Good resourcefully attached a bench to a scaffold, enabling him to paint while lying on his back. “This is a ‘ceiling painting,’ distinct from a fresco or a mural,” Good said. “It’s done in oil with 12-karat white gold leaf on a gesso-prepared surface.”

In July 2021, after 10 months and more than 1,200 hours, the ceiling of the Sibleys’ formal room -- now known as the Moon Room -- displayed “The Elevation of the Moon by the Acolytes of the Goddess Didamel.”

The Sibleys were entranced, and Good is now painting their dining room ceiling with a coordinating theme, to become the Sun Room. Following that, the Sibleys commissioned him to work on their atrium ceiling. “I believe I have reached the pinnacle of my career with these ceiling commissions,” Good said.

His clientele ranges from established collectors to those who are new to collecting art. “I never offer prints, just original work,” Good said. “When I discuss pricing on commissioned pieces, I determine cost based on canvas size, the number of figures I include, and whether the client wants gold leaf on the piece. Small commissions might range from a few hundred dollars, to something pretty pricey.”

People may purchase a Randall Good piece of art in one of several ways. His home gallery is Justus Fine Art in Hot Springs, Arkansas. “Here at home, I participate in shows, exhibitions and curated events, or interested buyers may schedule a visit to my Denton studio,” Good said. “My clients are fantastic, and they put a lot of faith in both me and my work.”