Andrea Hennings

Expressing emotions

Asan artist I am seeing my world with eyes wide open, noticing interesting and engaging scenes everywhere around me. Touching moments, when the animal’s eye meets mine. Usually there’s a slight movement, then maybe short eye contact catching my attention— a delicate connection between me and the animal. Suddenly time seems to stand still and I am holding my breath, trying to preserve this precious moment in my mind and with my camera. Too quickly those magical seconds are over. What’s left is a photo that, when revised, hopefully brings back the emotions I felt and the need to paint the impression of a beautiful being. Being inspired by such a beautiful moment, or remembering one, while browsing through my photo collection, I usually can’t wait to begin a new project. Seeing it come to life and grow is an experience I enjoy anew each time. For me the key lies mostly in the eyes. Rendering them a little bit bigger and working out the eyelashes and the reflection often gives the animal the personality I strive for.

Mostly I am painting with acrylics on various undergrounds, but I love to use oil paint and enjoy drawing or utilizing other monochrome techniques. While I do sometimes work with commissioned pictures, using my own reference photos allows me not only to retain the subject’s individuality, but to include my personal impression. Through my art, I am aiming to evoke empathy and raise interest in other living beings and the preservation of nature.

Magic Moment, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36" (60 x 90 cm)Seeing this graceful doe close up, I knew instantly I had to paint it. With a muted background, I indicated leaves to frame the beautiful face. After blocking the deer’s form in, the eyes were easy to paint with the encounter still fresh in my mind. The ears and the fur, on the other hand, needed several days to become as detailed as I imagined they would have to be. Lastly, I highlighted the side where the evening sun fell on the doe’s hair in numerous layers until I was satisfied with the result.

Zebra, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24" (45 x 60 cm) Browsing through my photos, I noticed one picture I overlooked before—a zebra resting on a warm summer day. Excited about my find, I wanted to paint this one differently, more loosely. Choosing a dark, cool background, I went with a warmer black paint in the foreground as well as a warmer shade of white next to it, to let the back and the nose appear closer. The rump and the neck are painted in pale, cool colors and the edges are blurry to support the impression. This time I limited my focus on details to the mane and the eye only.