New York Solo Exhibition Launch 2012

Above is a short video piece created, to my absolute surprise, by New York City Broadcaster Sean Mc Carthy. The short video aired in advance of my exhibition launch on Friday.

The exhibition opening night has gone brilliantly, with a great turn out of past and new collectors, as well as many supporters. Thanks to all for your support and making this trip and exhibit a most wonderful experience.

Its amazing to think that I can come to this city with my art work and make, with the help of many others, a successful show like this manifest.

People traveled from as far as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, not to mention my wonderful Aunt Deirdre and Uncle Michael Delaney as well as old friends from my home town of Malahide, Co. Dublin who came to support me and catch up. Also special thanks to Rudy Sagastume, Artist and the video and communications expert from the Art Students League of New York who came to document the opening of my show and event on behave of the League. That truly is a huge honor for me.

It is my hope that the exhibit will have many more visitors on Monday and Tuesday of next week. I promise to share photos and video of the exhibit and opening night for you all to see in the near future.

Extra special thanks to my wonderful wife Boo and her Thai buddies Sirikul and Pi'A.

- Richard

My New York Story

Where to begin! This three month trip in preparation for my second new york solo exhibition has been such an awesome experience. Not just in my painting and the thought processes around my creativity, not just in terms of the experiences this city has offered me, but it has proved overall positive and developmental in all aspects of my existence!



Firstly the experiences of Manhattan and getting to know that island and hub of activity along with the experiences of painting at the famous Art Student League which has been a real center of New York creativity since 1875.



Then the chance to stay with my friends in Sunnyside, in the Queens Borough. A wonderful neighborhood that has an strong Irish community past but has diversified into one of the most mixed ethnic places on earth.



and then onto and into the heart of Bushwick, Brooklyn. A developing and poor community with the most welcoming rich hearts and strong spirit.



Interwoven within all this experience has been the incredible subway rides, numerous museum and gallery visits as well as the daily sampling of the food and restaurant culture which is so prominent here. In fact, I could have written a whole book never mind a few blog posts on the incredible food that is available here in a city so far from the farms that produce its daily consumption.

Over all I know that these three months which have been packed with experience spent in this most famous of cities is just the beginning for me here. It is just the start of a love affair which I will hope for and look to develop further over the coming years.

- Richard

New York City Exhibition Invitation 2012

My Second New York City Solo Exhibit of Paintings opens at the Offices of

His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan this Friday March 23rd at 6pm.



Date: March 23rd, 2012
Time: 5:00pm 8:30pm
Place: The Dillon Hall, 20th Floor, The Cardinal Cooke Building (bet 55th and 56th street)
1011 First Avenue, New York, NY 10022.



This Exhibit will also be open to visitors on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th from 9.30am to 8.30pm (by appointment).

Last weekend I joined New York broadcaster Adrian Flannelly to attend the 42nd St. Patrick's Day Special Broadcast from Madison Avenue and discuss the show and my work.

For further details and information on this Solo Exhibit please see contact Richard Hearns at info@richardhearns.com or call: (001) 646 209 1409

A Day with Max Ginsberg

Its hard to imagine and a great surprise to me that my introduction to Max Ginsberg's work first came when I was just eleven years of age. I remember gazing at the drama taking place on the front cover of this childrens novel by Mildred D. Taylor entitled Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.



Yesterday I spent the day with Max as he gave a talk and painting demonstration at the Society of Illustrators in New York City.

Max is now 82 years of age and a contemporary of Harvey Dinnerstein whom I mentioned having the chance to meet with to talk to in a previous post. Max Ginsburg was one of America's foremost illustrators (1980-2004) and is one of the most respected and highly accomplished realist painters today. He has exhibited extensively throughout his career and recently received a retrospective at the Butler Institute of American Art.

When Max Ginsburg entered the art world in the 1960's, he was working in direct opposition to the period's minimalism and rejection of representational art. His work reflects and represents his immediate environment. He approaches his subjects sympathetically if in a somewhat unromantic manner, with his primary motivation being visual truth rather than idealization.
This idea really resonates with me as I feel that truth is ultimately the most important thing an artist can communicate. I don't mean that all work must tackle subjects of social injustice or contain the gritty realism of our post modern society but that each painting I create should be the truth at that moment. I have found this 'truth' when painting plein air in Ireland and out on the streets here or even when I composed my early figure in landscape work - that truth was there, present in my minds eye and surroundings and not choreographed or orchestrated.



It is that 'truth' that I hunt for before I tackle any subject, no matter how important or unimportant these subjects may or may not seem. That feeling of truth is the catalyst that propels me into a painting.

Max also spoke at length about 'the painting process' and ideas around painting during his portrait demonstration as well his processes during his years in illustration and the pit falls of using photography as well as how visual references can benefit the artist.



Above is a portrait he made of Donna - one of the models I have had the chance to work with during my time at the Arts League of New York.

Today I spent the day at New York's Largest Art Fair - The Armory Exhibition. It was an amazing and very inspirational experience. I will be trying to digest all I saw over the coming days.

Until my next post, which will contain more information on my coming New York Solo Exhibition, best wishes to all - Richard.

With Gregg Kreutz

Myself and Gregg Kreutz in the historical Studio 7 of the Art Students League of New York.

For the past two months while painting at the famous Art Student League of New York my mentor has been Gregg Kreutz.
Gregg is one of the most sought after teachers at the League and to be allowed into his studio class was a real honor and one I am very grateful for. Gregg is the most wonderful teacher and communicator as well as an award winning painter - a true master.
He studied with Frank Mason, Robert Beverly Hale, and most significantly, the world renowned David A. Leffel all in the very studio in which I painted with him - Studio 7.
Gregg has won numerous awards for his painting in America including the Frank C. Wright Award, the Hudson Valley Art Association Award, 1986, the Medal of Merit, the Council of American Artists Awards, Salmagundi Club; the Grumbacher Award, Knickerbocker Artists and most recently he won the Merit Award at the 2005 National Portrait Society of America.



Gregg working on the vase 'edges' of Walter Lynn Mosley's painting.

I feel I have gleaned a great deal of knowledge from Gregg during our time together. Small Subtle ideas which will no doubt infuse my paintings as they continue to metastasize.

On Wednesday of last week I began with a new painting mentor, Joseph Peller. Joseph is a fabulous colorist, a New York City urban figurative artist working in paint, print making and sculpture. During time in the studio with him I will concentrate more on drawing with the figure and on capturing the colour of light through application and increased awareness in paint handling. Joseph has a great energy about him. He studied with the world renowned artists George Bellows and Charles W. Hawthorne.
I am really looking forward to my next few weeks training with him.

If you would like to see more of how I am spending my time here in New York check out my facebook page. It contains links to museums and galleries which I am visiting here as well as updates and meanderings on the things that interest me.

Will have details on my New York Solo Show which opens on Friday March 23rd in my next blog post as well as an image of the final piece created under Kreutz's tutelage.

- Richard

Studio Mood

Studio Mood - oil on canvas - 16"x12" - sold

Really enjoyed the process in the creation of this painting.
I pushed scale and space towards sound and comfortable ratios of harmony
and sculpted with paint to create a strong focus set against mysterious qualities of space.
The ideas I have been engaged with these past two years about the importance of the space surrounding objects really comes to a reality for me with this piece.

The photo below shows the painting in situ at studio 7 in the Art Students League of New York.



This painting will feature in my New York City Solo Show this coming March 2012.
- sold

-Richard

In the Masters Studio

In the Masters Studio - oil on canvas - 15"x12" - sold
No matter how deep we go as human beings, no matter what we achieve, we are only scratching the surface of what we are possible of. There are no depths to want can be accomplished. And the further we delve in the time allotted the further our spirit can take us.

It is amazing how far some people have taken their investigation in their personal work and lives. How people have molded themselves to such heights of being and existence. All I have to do is to look outside the window at humanity in the street, walk through a museum of countless treasures.

What occurs to me so strongly this week is that it is our state of being that is most important and carries through in our lives and work. That state of kind neighborliness, that state of creativity during the making of art. That is why we do it - creating New Forms and space to place new steps of change.

- Richard

p.s This atmospheric oil painting above entitled 'In the Masters Studio'.
For Pricing, Reserve and Purchase please email me at info@richardhearns.com

Image of work below in Studio at the Art Students League of New York.

Still Life in Orange and Blue

Still Life in Orange and Blue -oil on canvas -12"x12" - sold
Created in studio 7 at the Art Student League of New York 2012.

Here is an image of a recent piece created in the studios of the Art League of New York. With this oil painting I floated colour outside of a number of the objects featured to create a halo of atmosphere and worked to retain integrity of shape as well as a lively and textured stage in which I could illustrate depth and a strong design.

'Still Life in Orange and Blue' will feature in my upcoming New York City Solo Show.
For Pricing, Reserve and Purchase in advance of this exhibition please email me at info@richardhearns.com

Ways of Seeing

Its been some experience so far here in New York City. A hugely positive one.
Each day I have been trying to squeeze in all I can in the time allotted.
There is just so much to see here, so much to experience!

Working at the League in Studio 7 continues to be a real learning curve for me.
I am not learning the things people might presume, like technique and style, rather I am learning how to see, various ways of seeing, interpreting, seeing what is important to me.

All I want to do is to paint. I am interested in picking up and learning all the subtleties, the nuances of painting that I admire.

This weekend we left for the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at the kind request and invite of Mr. Gene Heaney, Director of Finance at the famous Madison Square Garden. It was great to see the change of landscape there and experiencing this new place and space. I feel now after this trip I have the energy to re immerse myself in some unresolved landscape pieces I have been developing.

Next week we will be leaving my friends in Sunnyside, Queens to move into a studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn. We are excited about this move and the chance to get to know this colourful Borough.

Special thanks to Mr. Freddy Borges, Model and Sculptor for this photo.

- Richard

Donna

Visit my RHA 'Drawing Inspiration from Life' blog to view this post. http://richardhearnsart.blogspot.com/