Northwood Art Studio
...the finest artists of the Art Students League in NYC and in the West. His work is included in public and private collections across the US as well as in Europe. Hands has participated in many juried and group exhibitions including: NYC; Washington, DC; Jackson, WY; Santa Fe, NM; Scottsdale, AZ; Carmel, CA and Genouilly, France.
"As I paint in the ancient villages of France and along the nearby coast of the Mediterranean Sea, I am always struck by its authentic timelessness and beauty. But even more than that I can't help but think of its part in the development of America. Many of the ideas and technological advancements that have given us the greatest country on earth started right there."
The way these impressionist masters approached the attempt to capture the light effect of a moment in time in some of the most beautiful countries in the world has had a profound impact upon Hands' work.
"There is nothing quite like setting up my easel in front of my chosen subject because I never know exactly what is going to happen.
Is my sunny day going to turn cloudy halfway through my painting? Will the quiet country lane become a bustling thoroughfare before I'm done? Will the landowner's HUGE black dog tire of my presence before I'm ready to leave? Or better yet, will the local art critic approve of my efforts or enlist me to pick grapes to repay my use of his/her property as my subject?"
This race against the light requires quick decisions and a rapid application of paint. It is a key to any artist's development as a painter and is a challenge that must be experienced to fully apprecIate.
My work is an honest attempt to build upon the discoveries of past generations in the tradition of representatonal paintings; to convey not merely a beautiful place, but a poetic expression of ideas that transcend time and hold the promise of an even better tomorrow.
Northwood Art Studio is an effort to share those experiences with others. It's Where Art Affirms Truth.