Week 13. "Lady Bird" 12"x12" oil on canvas

A companion piece to "Queen Bee", "Lady Bird" can be seen at climate/gallery in NYC from April 3 to April 25. One thing that's fun about a smaller canvas is that when viewed online it's almost the actual size of the painting (when on a full sized monitor). I mean, even in this photo the paint itself can be seen very clearly. "Lady Bird" is all about juxtaposing the hard with the soft. Ladybugs (sometimes called ladybirds) have shells. Playful and colorful maybe, but still, hard shells. But they are called lady bugs. They don't sting people. They'll gently crawl all over you if you let them. So I put her under a leaf in mid-summer where the light is a soft incandescent green. No harsh light or dark shadows here.

Week 11 and 12. gone on honeymoon...

I'll be on my honeymoon this week and next. A new piece will be posted on Monday, March 29th.
See you soon,
Henry

Week 10. "Queen Bee" 12"x12" oil on canvas

Wondering what the face of the Queen Bee from "Zeus and the Queen Bee" looks like? Here she is! This is one of three paintings that will be in the show "Never Think SMALL!- Redux" at Climate/Gallery in Long Island City, Queens beginning Saturday, April 3rd, 2010. The other two pieces I'll be showing are also women as insects. If you'd like to see the them please come see them in person. Click here for directions to the gallery. The opening reception for the show is Saturday evening, April 10th.

Week 9. "The Travelers" 30"x40" oil on canvas

Every painting begins with an idea, sometimes very specific and sometimes just a vague outline. No matter how clear the idea is when I begin, my goal is never to produce the idea exactly. If I did I think the the final product would be static and dull. As a painting develops it begins to become it's own entity. It begins to dictate and demand what it will become. Mistakes happen and sometimes those mistakes take a fascinating direction. Sometimes what I had in mind doesn't work the way I thought it would. So as I work I must continuously step back and reassess what the next step will be. This was particularly true with 'The Travelers'. From the very beginning this painting took it's own course and I just had to go with it, hoping for the best. I do feel that the piece has a nice sense of immediacy. Look for the fish. I'm absolutely in love with them.