Fernando Ramos Prida

"Ellos Tres (Them Three)", Acrylic and Mixed Technique on Plywood

1981

“Sistas” is a portrait collection of strong, intelligent women who look capable of taking on and managing whatever life has to hand them. That they are visually beautiful is actually beside the point for Henry has managed to capture in paint their inner beauty flowing from their eyes and features. Henry has sensitively revealed each individual’s personality. These are women you want to know and from whom you want to feel their power. Henry says that, “Painting is like breathing for me. I do so daily and appreciate my gift and ability. Perfection drives me as I create each piece. It must be unique. It must stand out, and is not complete until that special quality is achieved in my eyes.” Being able to create is an essential part of my life. It is an extension of my innermost thoughts and imagination. My primary focus of art is realism--using oils and acrylics. Occasionally, I switch mediums and design and build three dimensional pieces. Working mixed mediums, I use various wood, metal and paint, thus allowing me to achieve the visual effects I am looking for. Many of my pieces have been derived from my attraction to Art Deco and Ethnic designs. I am not satisfied until each piece, regardless of the medium or size, has reached the highest possible level of aesthetic quality and craftsmanship I can give it. I have enjoyed creating art since childhood. While a student at Martin Luther King Jr. high school in Detroit, I created and presented a portrait to then Mayor Coleman A. Young. A scholarship from Center for Creative Studies now the College for Creative Studies afforded me the opportunity to work towards and receive a BA in Fine Arts. Faculty and graduates of CCS include Richard Jerzy, Harry Bertoia, Doug Chaing (currently director of Lucas Film), Stephen Dinehart (game maker, writer, designer connected with The David Lynch Foundation), Tyree Guyton (international artist), Herb Babcock, Jerome Feretti, Kevin Siembieda (writer, designer and publisher of role-playing games), Renee Radell, Philip Pearlstein, Charles McGee (nationally recognized African American sculptor of animal and dancing spirits), Philip Pearlstein (2000 Honorary Doctorate, Modern Realism style), John Louis Krieger (American Modern), William Girard (American Modern), and Charles Culver. Mr. Heading understands the joy found in art and how it affects a young person's heart. He has shared his love for art as a mentor/teacher at the Virgil L. Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan. Students not only grew in their art experience, but also exhibited at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Winning the 2013 MI Great Artist Competition was an honor for Mr. Heading. He is thankful to Park West Gallery owner Albert Scaglione and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson for the opportunity. Mr. Heading has been featured on ASPIRE TV, shows at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the National Conference of Artists and other numerous galleries. In addition, he is a book illustrator. His murals create a beautiful focal point and conversation piece on the walls of homes, churches and health care facilities. His art and furniture is enjoyed and treasured by collectors across the United States and Canada. Kohei Suzuki, the former Mayor of Toyota City, Japan has a box designed by Henry. Mr. Heading's work is part of the major TCF Convention Center's permanent collection located in the downtown business district in Detroit, Michigan. His first attempt at mosaic tile was creating a Tiger sculpture to benefit the Detroit Tigers...

The simple title "Quarantine" belies the complex nature of this work. It is a self-portrait of the artist, Henry Heading, immersed in the tools of his tr...

This portrait of Desmond Tutu is from the seminal artist Artis Lane and is one of the many exquisite portraits done of historical figures and celebrities she has met and painted duri...

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Celebrating our common colors as well as our diversity is Linden Godlove’s latest series of encaustics, “The Muses.” The paintings are modeled after icons, with a direct gaze that hearkens a response to their spirit, to find company in their character. This particular piece is the "Muse of Passion" and is part of a set of nine that are sold separately from one another. Encaustic painting is an ancient art form (some early icons are encaustic), where hot wax is mixed with pigment and resin, and painted while liquid. Throughout the process, everything is repeatedly fused with fire and sometimes things melt in an unintended direction. Linden’s process involves repeatedly carving parts out and filling them back in, so the works are splayed out in a loose application of hot liquid, then cut back, then washed over with brushes of hot wax again. It’s a combination of chaos and control. The series draws inspiration from women all over the globe, as originally photographed by Mihaela Noroc for her book The Atlas of Beauty. A portion of the proceeds from these sales will go towards her project. While internationally influenced, the pieces were painted, scraped, and carved at the artist’s hundred year old Detroit...

Celebrating our common colors as well as our diversity is Linden Godlove’s latest series of encaustics, “The Muses.” The paintings are modeled after icons, with a direct gaze that he...

This piece belongs to the first series of 6 large coins created by Natasha Lelenco in 2019, starting from the concept of the "face" and incorporating a floral background inspired by ...

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This piece belongs to the first series of 6 large coins created by Natasha Lelenco in 2019, starting from the concept of the "face" and incorporating a floral background inspired by ...

"The Pirate And Those Tiny Problems" is one of the pieces from the "Fetishes" series created by Natasha Lelenco in 2022. Man and nature become one in artist Natasha Lelenco's surreal...

"Vian 13" is one of the pieces from the "Fetishes" series created by Natasha Lelenco in 2022. A suggestion of a face comes to sight in artist Natasha Lelenco's surrealist yellow and ...

"Blue Flower" is one of the pieces from the "Fetishes" series created by Natasha Lelenco in 2022. Conceived as a portrait emerging from an intense fluorescent pink, the piece contain...