ARTIST STATEMENT, & EXHIBITONS
ABOUT
Lynette K. Henderson is a working artist in drawing, painting and mixed media, with a BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1986), MFA from the University of Minnesota (1989), and a Ph.d. in Art Education from Arizona State University (2006). Henderson currently teaches and resides in southern California, U.S.A.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My artwork includes includes a variety of perspectives about animals and environments: their beautiful and varied shapes and patterns, animal behavior and relationships, the concepts of predator and prey, and how animals manage to survive both in and outside of human-created enclosures. Unacknowledged as part of nature, humans tend to project themselves and their desired or imagined characteristics and emotions onto animals. Preserved in zoos, common to both rural and urban environments, the animals are considered by visitors to be either extraordinary, as pests or even despised rather than admirable, based on human perceptions and imaginings of the value of different species.
Animal Portraits
These artworks are close-up views of various species seeking to present the living presence of individual animals, including their interesting shapes, forms, colors and textures. This is achieved through expressive composition, detail, a clear sense of bone structure and anatomical accuracy in rendering the creatures with paint. In addition, often the animals present a direct gaze into the viewer’s eyes, intended to convey a message – confirmation of existence ('Iguana' 2023, ‘Chimpanzee’, 2022.) Environments for the individuals usually include something real, such as water, foliage, a human construction such as a fence, with a more atmospheric background that evokes emotion through color (such as ‘Lion With Sparrows’, 2023). Many creatures have a food item nearby or in their mouths, a reminder of what the creature needs to survive as wildlife (‘Meerkats, 2023’).
Narratives
These story-telling paintings tend to be larger and more complex, including multiple animal figures, grouped together within various environments. The combination of characters and spaces are intended to represent a moment in time, and tell a brief story about the animals and their unromantic environments. Sometimes it is intended to emphasize the extraordinary but inhospitable setting, an environment that is teeming with land, air and water creatures within a compressed space. In ‘Wild Dogs With Antelope, 2021’, the story is about group survival within the environment – predator/prey relationships, gathering of scavengers, and pack behaviors. Yet other works such as “Two Cassowaries, 2022” presents two tagged and numbered cassowaries meeting in a panoramic, choreographed space at the edge of a rainforest, potentially communicating but also just as likely to reject each other and move apart in the next moment.
Objects & Environment
These paintings have an emphasis on animals existing within environmentally polluted spaces (air, land and water). My first series of three paintings (‘DDT I, II, and III’, 2022) focused on individual barrels of DDT waste that had been dumped in the mid-20th century and still lie at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, near South Catalina Island, southern California. (DDT is an insecticide for use in agriculture, now banned in the US.) Later works include various ocean creatures with the leaking barrels – such as fish and starfish (‘DDT IV’ and ‘DDT V’, 2022). A current water-based work in progress includes whales, various fish and other ocean creatures, and cargo shipping containers that sunk to the bottom of the ocean. While the ocean creatures are very beautiful and interesting forms, colors and textures, the environments are murky and suggest an underwater graveyard. A land-based painting (‘Coyote, Morning on the Pier’) shows an early morning street view near the Santa Monica pier, a coyote looking directly at the viewer as it walks through a fence with scattered trash, with a bird scavenging nearby. A beautiful wild animal that has learned to survive amongst human detritus.
Landscape Photography
These images are pure enjoyment of the beautiful colors, textures and visual elements that I can capture with my camera outdoors. I hope to capture both urban scenes and what remains of wilderness in the U.S. and abroad.
EXHIBITIONS
National (Group, selected, since 2000)
(2023). McCord Gallery and Cultural Center. That Face! Portraits Both Human & Animal (Juried). IL.
(2023). Manhattan Arts International. Her Story, 2023. New York. (Juried, online exhibition.)
(2023). San Antonio Art League & Museum. 93rd Annual Juried Exhibition. (San Antonio, TX).
(2023). MinnesotaNice Art. "In Our Place". Minnesota. (Juried, online exhibition.)
(2023). The Rice Gallery of Fine Art. Small Works Show. Overland Pk, KS. (Juried.)
(2023). The Makery Gallery. "L'Amour & More" exhibition. Los Angeles, CA. (Juried.)
(2023), Gallery 825. Applied Science. Laaa.org. Los Angles, CA. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2023). Fusion Art. 5th Into the Wild Exhibition. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2023). Wild Heart Gallery. Inter/Action International. Coachella, CA. (Juried, online exhibition; Special Merit award)
(2022). 437CO Gallery. Small Matters. Colorado Mesa University. (Juried).
(2022) Paul Nigra Center for the Arts. 2022 Winter Art Show. New York. (Juried).
(2022). Five Points Gallery. 2022 Small Works Exhibition. Connecticut. (Juried).
(2022). Main Street Gallery. 3C's Art Collective: Small Works. Colorado. (Juried).
(2022). Idaherma Museum of Art Foundation. 4th Annual Online Exhibition. New Jersey. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2022). Coos Art Museum (CAM). Expressions West 2022. Oregon (Juried; Second Place Award).
(2022). Art Gallery 118. New Edition. Brooklyn, NY. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2022). Art League R.I. Gallery. Below the Surface II. Rhode Island (Juried).
(2022). University of Rhode Island Providence Campus Gallery. Art League R.I. Extended exhibition: Below the Surface II & Synergy combined. Rhode Island (Juried).
(2022). Las Lagunas Gallery. Women in Art, 2022. (Juried, online exhibition). Laguna Beach, CA.
(2022). MVA Gallery. The Power of Portraits, Human & Animal. Pennsylvania (Juried).
(2022). Healdsburg Center for the Arts (HCA). Miniatures Exhibition. CA. (Juried).
(2022). Arts Benicia Gallery. Gems V. Benicia, CA. (Juried).
(2022). Red Bluff Art Gallery. Art 4Animals. CA. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2022) J.Mane Gallery. 2022 Shades of Green Exhibition. (Juried, online exhibition.)
(2022) J.Mane Gallery. Fins, Feathers and Fur Exhibition. (Juried, online exhibition. Honorable Mention Award).
(2022). San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center (SFVACC). Call of the Wild. CA. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2022). Fusion Art. 7th Annual Animal Kingdom. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2022). Fusion Art. 4th Into the Wild Art Competition. Montana. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2022). Nat Art Gallery. Viewpoint. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2022). Exhibizone/Biafarin. Kingdom Animalia 2022. (Juried, online exhibition; People's Choice Award). Canada.
(2022). PUNCH Projects; Barnstorm Art collective. (Juried, online exhibition.) Washington.
(2020). Emerge Gallery. Petit Exhibition. Saugerties, NY. (Juried).
(2020). J. Mane Gallery. Fins, Feathers & Fur Exhibition. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2020). Mattie Kelly Art Center Galleries. Northwest Fla. State College. (Juried).
(2020). Blue Mountain Gallery. New York City, NY. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2020). Salann Magazine. 3rd Edition, Summer 2020. (Juried, print and online exhibition).
(2019). Jones Gallery. Art for the Animals Exhibition. Kansas City, MO. (Juried).
(2019). Emerge Gallery. The Schwa Show. Greenville, NC. (Juried).
(2019). J. Mane Gallery. 2nd Annual All Women Art Exhibition. (Juried, online exhibition).
(2019). Fe Gallery. Mythic: Imaginative Realism & Pop Surrealism. Sacramento, CA. (Juried).
(2019). 72nd Gilpin County Arts Association exhibition. Colorado. (Juried).
(2019). The Studio Door. The Crow Show. San Diego, CA. (Juried).
(2018). TAG Gallery. CA 2018 Open Exhibition. Los Angeles, CA. (Juried).
(2018). St. Augustine Art Association. 9th Annual Nature & Wildlife Exhibit. FLA. (Juried.)
(2018). Dalton Gallery, Agnes Scott College. Decatur Fine Arts Exhib. Decatur, GA. (Juried).
(2018). National Association of Women Artists (NAWA). NYC, NY. (Juried).
(2018). Blue Mountain Gallery. New York City, NY. (Juried).
(2017). Main Street Arts. Small Works 2017. Clifton Springs, NY. (Juried).
(2017) SAC Arts. Santora Gallery. CAEA 7th Annual Exhibition. Santa Ana, CA. (Juried).
(2017). St. Augustine Art Association. 8th Annual Nature & Wildlife Exhibit. FLA. (Juried.)
(2017). A Different Path Gallery. Animals In Art. Brockport, New York. (Juried).
(2017). Emerge Gallery and Art Space. Petit II. Saugerties, New York. (Juried.)
(2016). Emerge Gallery and Art Space. Petit I. Saugerties, New York. (Juried.)
(2016). Nicolet College Art Gallery. Rhinelander, 29th Annual Competition. WI. (Juried.)
(2016). La Galeria Gitana. Art of the American West. San Fernando, CA. (Juried.)
(2016). Coastline Gallery. Coastline CC. Birdie. Newport Beach, CA. (Invitational)
(2016). Mission Viejo Library. In the Studio 6. CA. (Invitational)
(2014). Coastline Art Gallery. Southern California Artists (SCA). Newport Beach, CA. (Invitational)
(2014). SAC Arts. Santora Gallery. In the Studio 4. Santa Ana, CA (Invitational).
(2013). Idyllwild Gallery. CA. CAEA at Idyllwild, 2013. (Juried).
(2013). SAC Arts. Santora Gallery. In the Studio 3. Santa Ana, CA. (Invitational)
(2012). Wells Fargo Bank. Southern California Artists (SCA). Laguna Beach, CA. (Invitational)
(2012). SAC Arts. Santora Gallery. Inside the Studio 2. Santa Ana, CA. (Invitational)
(2011). SAC Arts. Santora Gallery. Inside the Studio 1. Santa Ana, CA. (Invitational)
(2009). Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). Alumni Exhibition. MN. (Juried.)
(2003). Mesa Art Center. Mesa, AZ. (Juried.)
(2003). Kierland Resort. Scottsdale, AZ. (Juried.)
(2000). Durango Art Center. Durango CO. (Juried.)
International (Group)
(2022). Boomer Gallery. Art For Real II. London, England. (Juried).
(2020). CICA - Czong Institute for Contemporary Art. Gyeonggi-do, Korea. (Juried).
(2019). Circle Quarterly Art Review. 4th Edition. Lyon, France. (Print and Online, Juried).
(2018) Royal West of England Academy. Bristol, England. (Juried).
(2018). Ashurst Emerging Art Prize 2018. UK. (Juried, Online)
(2017). Sunny Art Centre. Sunny Art Prize Exhibition 2017. London, England. (Juried.)
(2000). 100 Sacred Visions. Payerbach, Austria. (Juried.)
(1999). Biennale Internazionale Delle Arte Contemporanea. Florence, Italy. (Juried.)
Collectors
(2023). Raven #6. Thom Carchedi, MN.
(2022). Dog with Cigarette. Gail Ashworth, Vallejo, CA.
(2022). Porcupine. [collector name tbc]. Torrington, CT.
(2022). Raven With Cigarette. Wesley Drummond, Longmont, CO.
(2022). Wild Dogs With Antelope. Carol & Jeff Davis, Coos Bay, OR.
(2022). Bobcat I & Bobcat II. Kristin Taylor, Burbank, CA.
(2016). Ravens. Acrylic on Canvas. 12" x 12". Carla Burnette, Saugerties, NY.
(2014). Buddy. Acrylic on canvas board. 9" x 12". Paula Dimarco, Northridge, CA.
(2013). Rattlesnake with Mouse. Acrylic on Canvas. 12" x 12". Magdy Rizk, Santa Clarita, CA.
(2011). Two Wolves. Oil on Canvas. 40" x 28". Edie Pistolesi, Northridge, CA.
(2010). Untitled. Oil on Wood. Jackie Hertel, Albuquerque, NM.