Ruth Henkel
Artist Statement
I am a figurative painter with a lifelong interest in the tradition and power of portraiture. A portrait communicates so much about the culture of its time and some portraits transcend time. We can feel the living presence of the person in the painting, although it was done centuries ago. ,The “individual” is the narrative of my work, compelling the viewer to rely on his or her own emotional associations to interpret the meaning of each image.
Painting in oil and acrylic, I am interested in the texture and marks on the surface of the canvas. These marks are a tangible trace of time. I push and pull flat planes in space to develop paint in a gestural manner. Sometimes the gessoed surface is left bare deliberately. I strive for spontaneity in paint handling.
Artist Statement
I am a figurative painter with a lifelong interest in the tradition and power of portraiture. A portrait communicates so much about the culture of its time and some portraits transcend time. We can feel the living presence of the person in the painting, although it was done centuries ago. ,The “individual” is the narrative of my work, compelling the viewer to rely on his or her own emotional associations to interpret the meaning of each image.
Painting in oil and acrylic, I am interested in the texture and marks on the surface of the canvas. These marks are a tangible trace of time. I push and pull flat planes in space to develop paint in a gestural manner. Sometimes the gessoed surface is left bare deliberately. I strive for spontaneity in paint handling.
