my art

 

 

 A young man in a wide world... My gratitude knows no bounds, For one who, in spite of his reserve, Was always generous, kind, caring, Willing to help, ready to love Acrylic on canvas by EMH

Evenings like this, especially during this particular time, remind me, often to my surprise, of the pleasure of long, meditative, afternoons in which the sense of one’s surroundings could occupy the thought, or sustain those quiet patterns of inward reflection. Self-Portrait, oil on canvas

Many years ago I met this Native-American to interview and to draw—William Whirlwind was a kind, intelligent and talented elder, yet also an eccentric, known for cutting all the trees around his cottage.  I asked him why he did so, to which he answered « to see the top of the hill. » I enquired whether he liked the white man.  In reply, he pulled out his dentures and said, « white man’s teeth. »  Pointing to his stove he mumbled, « white man’s stove. »  Then, with a squint of the eye, « Sure, I like the white man! » Right there he took up a pencil and in single line drew a rodeo horse.  And I drew him.  Then he escorted me outside and performed a tightrope act on a rope tied between two stumps.  He was in his 90s.

Oftentimes I have enjoyed painting and sketching when travelling, or living abroad.  Inspiration comes any time, and allows for variety without undo haste, as the work can be finished in the studio later on. Mysterious, almost indecipherable letters carved into the wall.  Ruins surrounded by a windswept landscape.  Here I capture that moment when the subject becomes aware he is being observed, even while in the midst of his reverie—a transition from a private train of thoughts to a certain self-consciousness. „Portrait of a Young Man“ acrylic on canvas, by EMH