The Henry Portraits

#1 Henry Awakens (2000)

This was the first of "The Henry Portraits." This was a practice drawing. I was learning how to do shading and drawing basic shapes. When I finished it, it wasn't so exciting, but it had its charm. So, I digitized it and it became electric.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips, Photoshop, Microsoft Word

Henry Comes Awake

Dead in the dark too long

At first his face looked like a fake

Out of place the arrangement's wrong

Henry came to life one day

His smile is crooked

But that's okay

#2 Pretty Boy Henry (2000)

This was another practice sketch that when it was done needed a little extra help. So I took it to my computer and digitized it. As you can tell I started with a heart shape and went from there.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips, Photoshop, Microsoft Word

Pretty Boy Henry lived in his mirror

Lost in the charm of his smile

One day he looked and on his face there was terror

A pimple here and a pimple there his face was no longer in style

#3 Henry in Deep Thought (2000)

This was my attempt to do Picasso. Okay, so I didn't quite succeed but it is an interesting piece. The blue in the eyes was done with a crayon stick. When I had finished the drawing, I felt it just needed a little something extra. So, I put it on Photoshop, and I came up with the extra eyes. It kind of gives it a psychedelic look.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Crayon, Erasers, Smudge Tips, Photoshop

Henry's mind sank to the depths of the deep blue sea

Rocking and tipping everything was shaky

#4 "Henry Learns from the School of Hard Knocks" (2000)

My attempt to capture a Ziggy Stardust type character. I gave him a black eye because life is tough. Our best lessons are learned from the School of Hard Knocks.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips

I've been punched in the face

Spit at with disgrace

Dealt with misconceptions

Harmful agitation

Years have disappeared

The hardships I have feared

Are the ones that taught me most Wisdom now my host

I carry it with pride

It been a rocky ride

#5 Henry at the Cross of the 21st Century (2001)

I wanted to do something that contained both spirituality and the new century and millennium. So, I put together an androgynous space age looking character with just a slight bit of emotion. I was still trying to figure out the shading and especially drawing lines.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips, Photoshop, Microsoft Word

My life has crossed several paths

Many homes I have seen

I've endured pain and wrath

Intelligence I hope to glean

Synth and data all stored up

Missing pictures in my mind

Solar power created hub

My ego was declared blind

Still I felt a hope inside

Human error rectified

Free to roam electrified

A love that rode up with the tide

#6 Henry Finds Beauty in Unexpected Places (2001)

I drew this one during a time when I had a very bad flu. Hence the yellow-green tones to signify the color of the phlegm I was spitting up. While I was lying in my bed feeling deathly ill the sounds of Pink Floyd's "Us and Them" crept in through my window from the neighbor's patio. It was such a beautiful sound and for seven minutes I found a reprise of fresh air and comfort.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips

Creeping through the sullen walls

Fills the air with beauty calls

All the pain has disappeared

Refreshed my mind has now been cleared

#7 Long Ago and Oh So Far Away Henry Was a Superstar (2001)

The title of this portrait is a play on the Leon Russell penned song "Superstar" which opens with the line: "Long ago, and, oh, so far away." This is an unusual depiction of myself back in the late 1980s to early 1990s when I was convinced, I was going to be a superstar singer in a rock and roll band - everything seemed to be going my way but then my ego got in the way BIG TIME and I crashed and burned. But I am resilient and I reinvented myself and began singing in a Gospel choir - this was one of the best experiences of my life.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips

Henry was a Superstar

His fans they loved him near and far

Henry was a Superstar

His ego killed him dimmed his star

#8 God Put the Rainbow Above (this is the blonde-haired twin of #7) (2001)

At this point in time, I was enamored with the spiritual hymn "God Put a Rainbow in the Sky" which was recorded by Mahalia Jackson in 1959. I played this song many times over. It has a good feel about it. I had to pay tribute to it in one way or another.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips

There's a rainbow up above

Painting the sky with visions of love

Love belongs to you and I

Multi colors smiling in the sky

#9 Henry Smiles in a Moment of Hope (9/11/2001)

I started working on this one toward the end of August 2001. It took me about two weeks to complete. I used to work on these portraits for about 30 to 45 minutes per day. I would work on one section of the face at a time perfecting each section before moving on. I was almost finished with this one when the 9/11 attacks happened. This was one of the horrible experiences to ever happen in the United States. It was a very sad time. Every single television network was covering this 24/7. Drawing was my escape. I finished it on September 12, 2001 and decided to call it "Henry Smiles in a Moment of Hope" in dedication to the horror of the day.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips

Sadness prevails all around

Evil has hit us on the ground

Don't know what to do but run

Escape the pandemonium

Hurt and grief for decades to come

First responders blackened lungs

Somewhere deep dark down inside

I need that smile that I thought had died

Help me with this feeling blue

A little hope to get me through

#10 Henry Unmasked (2003)

The events of September 11, 2001, affected me quite a bit. I had a feeling of gloom all over me. There were conspiracy theories coming from almost every sector of our population. It was crazy and nobody knew what to believe anymore. I stopped drawing for about a year. In the early Fall of 2002, I resumed my drawing. But this time I wanted to unmask Henry. Because I felt this was a time for transparency and truth. I took the time to learn how to draw a nose and ears and while doing that my skills in shading developed.

"Henry Unmasked" is my last in the Henry series. I ended up drawing two more portraits of friends of mine and haven't drawn since.

Medium used: Charcoal, Pastels, Erasers, Smudge Tips

Unmasked

The masquerade has ended

It's time to face our truths

The lies have been defended

Facts seem to not matter anymore

Manipulation has replaced integrity and principle

I must show my moral

And not let truth become the invisible

The masquerade has ended

Truth must speak louder than the lies

Thank you and Love You!!!