Richeson Oils

Initially branded as Shiva Signature Oils, these paints were developed by an artist driven by personal necessity and passion. In the late 1920s, Ramon Shiva sought to create a high-quality paint for himself and his friends. Recognizing the potential of this product, his son-in-law encouraged him to establish a business. At that time, a sixteen-year-old errand boy named Jack Richeson, who was responsible for deliveries to the factory, became captivated by the paint-making process. The brand gained significant traction, and by the 1940s and 1950s, Shiva emerged as the leading oil paint manufacturer in the United States, also pioneering the revival of casein paint, a medium from antiquity.

However, in the late 1960s, the company was sold, and the original commitment to purity and quality, championed by Ramon, was overshadowed by a focus on efficiency and cost control under the new ownership. In 2002, Jack Richeson realized a lifelong dream by reviving the original formulas from the 1950s, restoring Shiva oil paints to their former status as a top brand in the United States.

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