Wes Hempel

Birthday Wish

2022

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --When asked what kind of paintings I make, I usually call my work "Urban Landscapes" to distinguish them as paintings about areas of human habitation rather than landscapes that reference the natural world. But my subjects are certainly not all urban – some are suburban, some small towns and some are ruins, such as a faded sign and abandoned business bleaching in the desert sun as once populated areas return to their former empty silence. While I often treat older architectural forms, I want to make it clear these are not paintings about nostalgia – all are contemporary scenes, recently observed. Currently I've painted a number of pictures which seem neither urban nor rural but are set in that particular non-space that now covers so much of the landscape – the limbo of freeway exits and on-ramps and their attendant fast-food franchises. What I feel these mostly unpopulated places I choose to paint have in common is a potency, some kind of emotional charge that enables them to function as settings for a subjective fictional narrative. As the artist I choose and edit the scenes, setting the stage for viewers to bring their imaginations and private meanings to these places made special by my selection and attention." Notes: Urban, Rural, Movies, Theatre...

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --When asked what kind of paintings I make, I usually call my work "Urban Landscapes" to distinguish them as paintings about areas of h...

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA -- I think of my work as being like a visual journal- observations and interpretations of people, places and things I experience day t...

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA -- Trevor Young is a quintessentially American painter. He makes no bones about his affection for the trappings of car culture, life on...

"Golden Light", Connie Borup, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches (Framed size: 33 x 43 inches), $4,800 “Connie Borup’s work cannot simply be described as land...

"Approach to Lee's Ferry" by Kim Whitesides, oil on canvas, 18 X 22 inches (Framed size: 21.5 x 25.5 inches) Whitesides made an impact in the art community at a very young age. While working as an illustrator in New York City from the late 60s through the mid 80s, his paintings appeared in many publications, including Time Magazine, Rolling Stone and Playboy. He received numerous awards from The Art Directors Club of New York and The Society of Illustrators. It was at this time that Whitesides began a period of bold work with the airbrush that emphasized the simplified spaces and clean lines of art deco and art moderne, for which he gained a national reputation. A native Utahn, Whitesides believes art is a language and an opportunity for his vision to inspire others. He continues to grow as an artist, as his art is constantly opening doors on new vistas...

Outlaw Mesa Shadows, oil on canvas 17 x 30 inches (Framed size: 18 x 31 inches), $2,900 Leslie Thomas returned to painting after working 20 years as a computer engineer. She has since studied painting under Mark Knudsen...

Water Patterns, oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches (Framed size: 43 x 33 inches), $4,800 “Connie Borup’s work cannot simply be described as landscape; it is t...