Waptus River-Cascades Painting

Paul loves to create art by using a variety of techniques and is inspired by an assortment of styles, methods, color and diversity in his artwork. He will often quote: “Variety is the spice of life”. Paul Henderson is an American artist, living and raised in the Northwest. His paintings reflect his upbringing of fishing, hunting and camping trips with family. These childhood memories have emphasized his love of landscapes, nature's natural beauty and wildlife. The love of outdoors prompted his early drawings and sketches. After college graduation, he began to seriously study art, taking several college level courses. In addition, he studied under a couple of accomplished artists: (1) Don Crook, commonly known as the “Rockwell of Western Art”. Under Don's mentoring, Paul learned the intense discipline required in composition, color and detail. (2) Daniel E Green, a portrait painter and pastel artist, imparted a love of beautiful and subtle colors in a composition. Childhood, self-study and learning from master painters have influenced Paul's art and techniques. Paul loves to create art while being in the present moment and receiving inspiration. He loves to create paintings with a sense of tranquility and serenity. His paintings tend to evoke emotions using abstract realism and a mix of both. He encourages one to feel the aliveness of the painting and visualize and engage your senses and hear the majestic “sounds” of nature. He loves color and will often play with color to create an abstract that draws you in and generates a calming atmosphere. Paul loves friends and family and loves to produce art that connect us. Paul likes to include his interest regarding archaeology, history and multicultural subjects in his paintings. His painting of ancient Mayan ruins with black Jaguars, in the foreground, is an example of mixing these subjects together. He loves to experiment with different mediums and textures. In 1986, his five year old daughter spilled coffee on a sketch and viola! His espresso art was born. The artwork caught the attention of the public and he was interviewed on Evening Magazine and several other Northwest television programs and newspapers. In 2010, Paul was inspired by the movie 'Julie and Julia'. The lead character, Julie was inspired to complete two recipes per day, for a year, from Julia Child's famous cookbook. It inspired Paul to experiment for a year with the goal of two paintings per week.