New York City Urban Inspirations.

New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Rome, Paris, Budpest, Prague, and many other urban centers have provided Harkrader with inspirational metropolitan influences. More than 40 paintings from the 'Urban' series have thus far evolved from these influences. "Cities are, among other things, sexy" says Harkrader. There is an energy in the city that one can not obtain from any other source. The energy from mass humanity, surging public transportation, romantic piano bars, lovely hotel rooms, the sensual shapes of architecture expanse, (especially the vertical) the aroma of international cuisine, art, scultpture, and the unwritten history of eros within museum walls. Wow, that sounded like the plot or script from a dozen 'Sex In The City' episodes. The image of the World Financial Center buildings above was captured by the artist in 1991 from atop the World Trade Center, 10 years before the dreadful 9-11. Harkrader shot this architectural angle, never to be captured again, from atop those magnificent twin towers. The World Trade Center's visual awe was not just their height, but the double columns that rose from the earth like a scene from some ancient holy site from another planet. What an absolute loss of art and life! Long live New York City.

Red is Hot! Black is Urban!

This hot red urban action floral is one of Harkrader's latest. Filled with collage of black and white alpha-numeric text, currency from Eastern Europe, clock face language, wallpaper and raised text with faux gold leaf, it is urban. The language is romantic. Love, valentine, touch, voice and other sensory language and pics; combined with the colors of red, black, gray, ochre, green, etc. fill the canvas with urban love language.

Embedded Antique Fishing Lure

Harkrader has embedded an antique fishing lure into this earthy digital canvas with attachments. An antique fishing lure that sports 'glass eyes', as opposed to plastic or painted, was used in the canvas. This lure came from his father-in-laws tackle box filled with 1930 to 1950 era lures. This 3"x4" zoom (detail) is only a section of the total 9"x15" canvas from the 'Urban' series. Other media embedded or attached to the canvas include another lure, a stop watch, metal and computer bread board.

Soft Action Erotica

Action art allows the viewer to follow the path of movement that the artist's body and medium delivered traveled across the canvas. Not all areas of this action canvas are such. The epitome of action painting (abstract expressionism) was delivered by Pollack in the '40's and '50's. Harkrader's Silent Echo VI (above) has a half dozen action deliveries on the canvas face, while other parts of the 40" x 30" canvas (available) is embedded with collage, photographs, alpha and numeric text. The color blue which is normally cool visually, takes on a warm sensation surrounded by the ochre, sienna and other earth. This canvas is choke full of interesting language, including soft erotica. Never boring & a conversation piece.

Power of Color

The colors red and black are both associated with power. Red has additional meaning such as passion, energy, war and is emotionally intense. Black can be negative in meaning but also is formal and elegant. This painting from Harkrader's 'Winged Essence' series is crisp and clear against the unsized white cotton background of drapery material. The process is totally unforgiving. You only get one chance to find your compositon and other visual language before you abandon the temptation or mistake of continuing. It is over. Let it be.

Collete Fu Pop Up Book Workshop

Harkrader captured this photo at his table while Collette Fu taught him & others specifics about the beginning basics of Pop Up Book construction. The Collette Fu Pop Up Book Workshop was one of many venue happenings in the Marginal Arts Festival in Roanoke. Fu's comprehensive education, residencies and awards include Fulbright Scolarship to China 2008 and Nikon.net grand prize winner in portraiture 2003. http://www.colettefu.com/ Harkrader's 3 paper constructions in forground were later assembled into a single paper scultpure (that may or may not fold up but surely pops : )

"Zippered Landscape"

"Zippered Landscape"

48" x 36" x 4"

Oil on canvas with zippered openings dissected into the canvas face.

Another painting exists behind the main surface.

Artist In Action

Harkrader In Action on a new floral. The studio is packed with over 50 paintings. It is getting hard to manuver, but as the old expression says; 'the mail must get through'. The collage pile is on the red carpet. Rugs, carpets and mats protect the floor. Paint can be thrown or flipped through the air, hence the plastic curtains. A completed floral in the foreground, an in-progress behind the stool and a new diptych is launched on the easel.

Get In On The ACTION!

This fast and sudden action resembles an expansion of earth with bolts of white lightning, clouds or ice caps exploding about the landscape that are charged with energy. This painting titled Silent Echo II is one of Harkrader’s paintings from his ‘Action’ series. According to the artist that after some observation noticed that the action panels seem to appeal to the masculine side of the sexes or to the Mars side (Mars VS. Venus). This canvas is 30” x 40” and is available. Get in on the action.

The RAC & New Work Studio

Harkrader takes a break in his studio today to relax on the studio stool (tee hee) and critique some of his new work. Surrounded by a bed of flowers, Harkrader feels like spring has finally arrived. The morning started with a cup of Mill Mountain's best with a splash of Kahlua : ). Good conversation and the Wall Street Journal followed by a brisk workout at the RAC and ending with 5 minutes in the steam room. All part of the recipe to feed the art of creation.

Harkrader's Urban series has been a popular series for collectors. This Urban canvas has a soft warm and cool palette with heavy textures. Movement provides a gentle action for the eye as gentle waves of architectural shapes flag in the composition. This movement and the restful areas that surround them sit atop fields of warm earth. This canvas was purchased by an architect for their private residence.

Early Digital Computage

Harkrader bought his first version of Adobe Photoshop in 1994 after purchasing his first computer to participate online with the now historic Blacksburg Electronic Village. The BEV was touted as the worlds first electronic village and was a collaboration between Virginia Tech, Town of Blacksburg and Bell Atlantic. He used Netscape to browse for the first time and Photoshop to create his first digital art. The image above was compulation of photographing an early Harkrader painting, photographing his wife's automobile, using Photoshop tools to paint, blend, merge and layer the digital collage into one single unit of blended art.

Paint My Historic Home

Harkrader recently finished painting an architectural (home) watercolor for a gentleman that made him a deal he could not refuse (if you only knew). This historic home in the East Main Street Historic District of a small New River Valley town is commonly known as the 'Junkin' House and is located in the same neighborhood Harkrader lived previous to moving to Roanoke. Due to a chain of interesting events, the watercolor was the result of the collectors request. This small 10" x 13" watercolor reminds one of some of Harkrader's early work when he rendered paintings of landscapes and street scenes of towns located around the New River Valley. The watercolor was delivered today.

God said, "Let There Be Art"

In the beginning there was History
History begat Darkness
Darkness begat Light
Light begat Life
Life begat Love
Love begat Art
Art begat History


...Harkrader


This painting is available / 48" x 60" / mixed medium on canvas

Public-Commercial Art in Philadelphia

In his early career, Andy Warhol worked as a New York City window dresser, arranging commercial storefront displays for Bonwit Teller as did Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. Commercial window dressing is an art form and most storefronts outside the northeast never taught, learned or practiced this art form. Two consistently successful storefront installations in Roanoke, Virgina are LaDeDa & 310 Rosemont. If Roanoke public, business, professional and commerical storefront all practiced this lost art, tourism would surely rise from this pedestrian form of window browsing.

The image above is an example of window dressing in Philadelphia (not counting the two pedestrians : )). This particular storefront uses oversized photo-graphics and shadow producing text on the glass to create an interesting commercial comment. While not the 'high art form' as practiced by the window artist for Macy's in New York City or LaDeDa and 310 Rosemont in Roanoke, this Philadelphia example is still an enjoyable, effective and powerful form of window art.

The Air feels Crisp & Clean!

Tazmania is known for the cleanest air on earth. Harkrad3r inhaled that prized atomosphere after taking the Spirit of Tasmania from Melbourne, Australia to ferry across the tumultuous Bass Strait to Hobart in 2002. http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/index.html .

This past month, after multiple snows and cold , the air in the Roanoke Valley was especially clear. Mountainside and above Crystal Springs Village, the winter of 2009-2010 will be remembered for pristine air, children sledding, and the natural beauty that white powder reveals to us from both sides of the windows of our shelter.

The painting above celebrates, among other things, crisp and clean. 'Stonescape' is from Harkrader's 'Urban' series. The white textures of glass, plastic and pumice lie on the canvas face like white snow. The green earth stone-like colors give the impression of granite or marble. A pure pliant snow atop the unyeilding regidity of stone. The compositional shapes convey ubran footprints of architectural elements and some betow a 3D quality. This pure and earthy urban composition (48x60-2004) is in the collection of an architect's private collection-an appropriate place for the work to live.

Harkader Featured On Empty Easel

Image Courtesy of Preas Collection:

Harkrader was featured on Empty Easel, the online art magazine. Article below by Lisa Orgler.

Harkrader is a mixed-media painter drawn to both philosophy and experimentation. In 2003 his life took a major shift when he transitioned to from strictly representational pieces into abstract art. Along with 17 other artists in a multi-studio environment, Harkrader began experimenting with a multitude of mediums and styles. Harkrader is known for working on several pieces at a time, both sculptural and 3D in nature. This multi-tasking approach allows him to research various techniques all at once, pushing the limits of his varied media. He especially enjoys examining the attributes of light, perspective, color, form, and movement. The painting below, from his Urban Series, captures all of these elements. Harkrader’s color choices and strong angular forms convey an industrial feeling, and gives a sense of depth. Movement is represented by sweeping curved lines. Read the complete article on the following link.

http://emptyeasel.com/2009/11/04/chico-harkrader-abstract-experimentation-in-paint-and-mixed-media/

If you like the paintings above, I highly encourage you to explore the rest of Harkrader’s work at http://www.harkraderx.com/

...Lisa Orgler

The title of this painting is due to an image that mysteriously appeared/discovered on the canvas face in the form of an incredible eye (s). This feature was discovered only after a viewer in Harkrader's Studio pointed it out. The eyes are best seen in person and the canvas must be turned in a verticle postion to appreciate this feature...Dark Skinned Angel

New Snow Coming & 'Vase' is Available

Another new snow is coming to Roanoke. The third white blanket will sit atop the existing 6 inches remaining from last weekends carpet of white on the South Roanoke mountainside. Streets will close, children will sleigh and board, and parents will shovel. A magical time to be mountainside above Crystal Springs Village.

Studio work today after an art related trip to Charlotte on Monday through Wednesday. Harkrader procurred a new canvas (48"x36") for another floral abstract. A sketch was rendered on the canvas in preparation for the first layer of color wash.

Harkrader and the Dark Skinned Angel laid the 'Vase' painting above onto the existing 6 inch snow base outside the studio. The painting was so hot, it melted the snow and singed the sidewalk below... : ) The 48x36 mixed medium/media canvas is embedded with greek text from an antique book, collage and glass. Laying across the top of the canvas is the red vase. The red texture on the top edge of the vase rises up to 3/8" thick. An incrediable 3D effect is portrayed due to the embedded depth below the mediums and the topmost textures above. This canvas is available and it will melt ice.