Early Exhibit Pre-1990

This image from a Harkrader exhibition at the FACNRV (pre-1990) reveal two paintings that have since disappeared and one painting that was painted over. Harkrader rarely paints over a canvas and now expressing regrets of doing so. In his opinion, "I concealed a significant canvas in 2005 when I painted over it in the absence of a blank canvas."

Swarovski Crystal Lives Here

Swarovski crystal lives here. Harkrader has used Swarovski crystals on the face of paintings and sculpture. "Acqua di Fiori Essenziale" (detail) has within its composition face a single tiny red Swarovski crystal that resides in the top-center of the large black shape embedded on the canvas face located at the tail of one of the wandering black fibers.
http://www.swarovski.com/Web_US/de/index

Early Work

Brick, circa early 1800's and painting on brick, circa 1973. During this time Harkrader lived in the log cabin between Plum Creek and Radford City limits on Rt. ll E. of Radford. The sturdy cabin was built in the late 1700's and probably used as a road house (tavern). There was once a book in an early library that identified this tavern as Harman property. The cabin is located at the present property of George Harvey. There are many stories of interest related to the tavern, some during the time Harkrader lived there in the 70's. The artist found old brick from an early mill on which he created this painting. The design of the painting is colorful primitive with indigenous like design. The uniqueness is the 'paw' impression embedded in the recessed face of the brick in which an animal set it's foot as the brick was curing. This specific area is the yellow circles which surround the orange sphere. Available and collection the artist. 6"x4"x2" / oil on clay-mud-straw (brick)

American Art Collector - September 2010

Harkrader's new painting 'Nave Botanical' may be viewed in the September issue of  American Art Collector. The image is part of a two page ad placed by RedSky Gallery in Charlotte, NC.
Comments by the gallery owner, Kelli Scott can be seen on page 45 and images on page 71. The painting is incredibly deep with layers of lucid medium that present a 3D effect. The canvas is heavily layered with thick paint and has mixed media and mediums embedded into the canvas face that include leaf parts, Greek text, fibers and collages of various types.

'Available' "36" x 48".

Female Nude with Chair

 Female Nude with Chair, one of 100+ from the Harkrader 'Life Drawing' series.

A pleasing composition from humanity. "Feeple have more fun than anyfody"...Annoymous : )

"Whether I'm painting or not, I have this overweening interest in humanity. Even if I'm not working, I'm still analyzing people." Alice Neel" http://www.aliceneel.com/home/

Life on the Hudson River

Harkrader 'Life Drawing' Series / Female Nude Reclining

Watercolor and ink / 5" x 7"

This small Harkrader has recently found a home on the Jersey side

of the Hudson River overlooking Manhattan.

October 2010

RedSky Gallery will feature a full page in the October 2010. The Harkrader painting (top right) is from the 'Corolla Series'. Also shown in this image is the figurative work of Jylian Gustlin.
http://www.jyliangustlin.com/
This image is 'detail' of the full page.

Acqua di Fiori Essenziale To Finish Soon

Acqua di Fiori Essenziale         60x48 mixed                           2010

(Essential Water Flower).  An incredibly sophisticated painting of mixed medias including copper, fibers, photo collage, sycamore leaves, wallpaper, Swarovski crystal, and Budapest currency. This painting of abstract botanical afloat and awash in pools and drops of light blue colors. Sycamore leaves launch up the left side of canvas, one floating above a soft plaid wall paper laced in copper, and another leaf shape of textured paper laced with black fiber. A Budapest currency, 200 Forint banknote resides mid-canvas. Orange and lavender botanical shapes seemingly floating above and below the two dimensional plane of canvas. Multiple lucid layers of multi-media and attachments give the entire canvas a three dimensional sensation. More fibers wander around the composition among bold strokes of thick paint; their placement creating gentle movement.

Harkrader

Addio Vento Floreale

Goodbye Vento Floreale! The beauty of your wind blown flowers
will be missed. Thanks to RedSky Gallery you have found a
home (AC). May the path of your wind blown fragrance
and the olfaction of the artist

cross again in some future garden of Mother Nature.

Palazzo Venezia, Rome, Italy, May 2007

Harkrader & Elle photographed at the Julian Schnabel exhibit at the Palazzo Venezia, Rome, Italy, May, 2007. The Harkrader's was residing at the time in the atelier of Annina di Oronzo in Rome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pigna_-_Palazzo_di_Venezia_1010172.JPG

Julian Schnabel, American artist and filmmaker, one of Harkrader's favorites.

http://www.123people.com/ext/frm?ti=person%20finder&search_term=julian%20schnabel&search_country=US&st=person%20finder&target_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4sajnloTFvU&section=video&wrt_id=53

Harkrader later viewed Schnabel's film 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' at the lovely Grandin Theatre in Roanoke, Virginia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diving_Bell_and_the_Butterfly_%28film%29

Botanical to Finish Soon

Harkrader has been cultivating this botanical for sometime now. It will be finished soon. This sophisticated abstract floral is deep, in the sense that thick layers upon full lucid liquid layers live on a level of  Third Dimension lounging on a 2D canvas plane.

Big Stoney Creek at Rye Hollow

Two precious days on the lovely Big Stoney Creek located on Rye Hollow Road inside Giles County. A photographers dream-scape--lovely landscape architecture courtesy of Mother Nature. A bottle of French wine and companionship in front of a Monet like scene captured in photograph by Harkrader.

Boston Street TV - Urban Art

Street TV...a public art concept proposed by Harkrader in 2003 as a way to recycle old technology--the boob tube. The image above shows Harkrader with prototype on the streets of Boston. The concept  would solicit local government to write code that requires tube owners who plan to trash their tubes to provide them for public art. The code would authorize the 'temporary art' be placed near the residents public domain of streets, sidewalks and city parks, however municipal delays continued into 2010....Just kidding!   : )

Simon of Saint Lo

Harkrader and Simon of Saint-Lo France at Harkrader's Roanoke City studio. Chic and Elle are home host to Simon Garlantezec, a business student intern who is providing organizational support to the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge.

ArtView: Visions and Voices
Contemporary International Art Exhibition
Roanoke Valley Sister Cities
November 4-7th, 2010

Elle and Simon

'Revealed Secret'  / 20" x "16 / mixed medium

Heavy medium creates 3D effect of multiple lucid layering

Available

Tools of the Trade

Harkrader poses with a few of his 'Tools of the Trade'. Harkrader remarks, " I apply medium with any tool that has a handle and will attach or embed any media that gets in the way".

Naranja Flor

Naranja Flor / 30" x 40" / Acrylic on Canvas / Available

Floral Abstract In Progress

The Floral Abstract is in progress. Canvas size is 36x48 / mixed media with embedded fibers and collage elements. Thick paint with pumice textures. Greek text from antique book. Nude language all but concealed.
Floral shapes with vase/vessel.