Uploads from Simon Hennessey ' Simz '

sun & silhouettes

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 04:21:00 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Sun and silhouettes
Acrylic on canvas
40 X 60cm unframed.
April 2013

The background being out of focus and blurry in this series of works plays an important role in the manner in which the painting communicates to the viewer.
To place the image into some kind of context the painting relies on the reflective surface of the glasses to act as an optical lens similar to a camera's which then deciphers the background, in doing so it reveals the environment and places a narrative within the painting.

Down by the sea. Acrylics

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 02:54:07 -0800

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Down by the sea
Acrylic on illustration board
37X51cm unframed
Feb 2013

The smallest portrait I have ever done and the quickest at exactly 14 days of painting.
Continues with the theme of portraying a dual perspective through the use of the reflective surface of the sunglasses, showing the traditional view of the model combined with the view of what the model is seeing through the reflection. It puts the model into some kind of narrative and visual space.

I think this smaller piece is probably on a technical level my tightest painting to date. After considering why I have came to conclusion that is was through my working methods and use of the computer screen. I usually use multiple source images at a 1:1 scale so that the computer screen and any source images are the exact same size as the painting surface. I found that with my larger works the over sized scale stretches the image to an extent that is pixelates the image and produces digital noise. I was getting bogged down with incorporating this into my works so that the larger ones wasn't as tightly painted. By reducing the paintings sized it has got rid of the pixel distortion so that I can concentrate on the actual face and skin textures as they are and more in keeping with reality and how we see.

thanks for looking

Britannia, Acrylics

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 05:31:41 -0800

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

122 X 89 cm
Oil & Acrylic on wooden panel
Feb 2013

A fusion of genres that incorporates the graphical elements of street art with the defined representation of realism.

I consciously kept the colour scheme as close to Red, White and Blue as I could to be in keeping with the patriotic feel of the piece.

This will be on show at the Plus one gallery's Feb group show.

Big shout out to Diva, the Birmingham Graffiti artist for allowing me to use his design in the reflection.

thanks for lookin

Urban chic, 150X100cm, oil acrylics on canvas, 2012

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 04:43:45 -0800

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Urban Chic
100 x 150 cm
Oils and acrylics on canvas
2012

This painting was created using a pluralist approach, through a combination of 3 different disciplines of art, drawing, acrylic airbrushing and traditional oil glazes applied with a paint brush. All these media produce their own unique properties and can be visualised within the painting once up close and personal.

Back in the mid to late 1980's I was a graffiti writer and was lucky enough to gain a few paid commissions, this painting brings my work full circle and back to where I started my painting through visually referencing the graffiti / street art. (although I was never really prolific and definitely not 'all city' as the artists refer to it)

I had the concept to place the two genres of realism and street art together through my lens reflection series to create a meeting of styles, the abstracted and graphical elements of graffiti combined and fused with realism.
The painting showcase's a duality through splitting the canvas into a diptych and over two spaces, one side colour and one side monochrome. A visual reference to equal and opposite, to a persona and a character. It therefore creates and presents the viewer with two separate responses to how we see and view one image.

There's a number of hyper realist theories going on throughout the painting, the most obvious being the split canvas of colour and monochrome to give the overall synthetic appearance. However less obvious is the lens reflection that is constructed from numerous source photographs and my artistic input. The right and left eye reflection although may appear to be graffiti that is reflected on the same long wall, are actually in fact not from the same area but are placed together to forge a new reality, its an impossibility that a person can occupy a dual environment and space at one moment in time. Also the reflection being a mirror image is reversed, but the monochrome side is actually the correct way around. ( with the exception of the figure which is mirrored, the Sony logo gives that away ) These elements are something that implies a false sense of reality or a fabricated reality that most people take on as face value.

Although the painting stage is completed I still have to wait for the oils to dry before I can varnish it and then frame it.

big shout out to the street artist 'Kesh' whos work is featured in the colour side, not sure who the monochrome side's work is as its a combination of two pieces.

thanks for looking.

urban chic, work inprogress, small

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:20:34 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Urban Chic, work in progress shot
100 x 150 cm
Acrylic inks with an over painting of oil glazes.

just over halfway with this one, working on the monochrome side now which should be a bit quicker to get through.

big shout out to Kesh whos work is in the colour side, not sure who's work is in the other side so any assistance so I can credit them is much appreciated :)

Urban Chic, Acrylics

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:29:07 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Work in progress shot, Close up ( Urban chic )
finished painting will be 150 X 100 cm a full face and split over a two canvases as a diptych. One half colour the other half monochrome.
I take no credit for the actual graffiti in the reflection, if any of you know who the artist is then please let me know so I can fully acknowledge them with the credit they deserve.

This painting continues with my theme of creating images that look like simple straight forward photographic representation, but the image combines multiple source shots and lots of detail and stuff that I make up as I go along. The opposite side graffitti will look like it is part of the same wall but in fact it was from a totally different area. It therefore places two beings in two different locations at the same time, which is physically impossible.

I also get a little camo role in the painting by representing myself with the camera. I didnt realise how commercial the image was going to turn out until I started painting it, Sony, Ray ban and Adidas!!

I'm thinking of doing some oil glazes over this colour side to bring the colour out especially in the graffitti lettering to try to get it to pop and stand out even more.

Anyway thanks for looking. It will be another few weeks until final completion.

Westminster, acrylic ink

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 02:39:20 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Westminster
61 X 138 cm
Acrylic inks on canvas
June 2012

This painting like my others may resemble a direct representation of a photograph, however I have combined multiple source images and the use of my artistic initiative to create and manipulate a new reality.

The series is concentrating on producing a role reversal in how we see our environment, and how the landscape becomes reduced and minute in comparison to the human figure.

I think I am going to explain how these eye glasses reflection paintings have evolved from learning what works best over the past couple I have made.

I start with an environment and a model where I gather source pics. It's difficult to position yourself so your not interfering with the reflected illusion. What I have found works best is taking multiple source pictures of the model including focusing on the actual glasses frame, the skin and eye and also the reflected image in the lens. I then combine them all to create a more detailed and clearer reality than a single shot photograph. Also because the reflected image is reduced so small, I find a lot of the detail is lost and blurred., So I therefore turn around 180 degrees away from the model and shoot multiple snapshot images and close ups of the surrounding area to gather the lost details and information that I require. Once all these elements are combined they create the illusion of a photo reality.

thanks for looking

p.s I am not sure if the colour balance is correct as I have recently had to change a broken computer screen, my screen now seems to be have more of a blueish tint to it which I cant seem to change. I am unsure if I have over compensated for it.

Life through a lens, Acrylic inks on canvas

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:05:33 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Life through a lens
66 X 86 ( 74 X 94 framed )
Acrylic inks on canvas
April 2012

Incorporating a dual perspective which abstracts the image.

Although I used a photographic source as a reference to gather information, this isn't a straight forward copy of a photograph, I used my artistic initiative and changed and adjusted elements such as adding or removing detail, colour balance, tonal ranges and form. I tightened up the overall appearance of the image too so its focal range is sharper than what the photographic source captured.

Life through a lens, work in progress

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:18:49 -0800

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

'Life through a lens' work in progress
cant remember the size ! but its a small one for me.
Carrying on with the dual reflections concept. I have decided to do some smaller single lens images as well. I am going to call these smaller ones the SLR series, single lens reflection as thats what they are, but the SLR also refers to the source and the DSLR camera ( before anyone says I know the R in SLR is reflex not reflection). This painting is a combination of a few images that I liked, adding parts and people and stuff like that. The image because its a reflection isnt as clear as a normal picture of a street view would be and doesnt capture the detail in the same way. Its very deceiving painting something thats curved and distorted by the lens and you know it shouldnt actually look like that in reality. I think the taxi definetly needs softening and the hard dark line around it makes it look a little cartoonish.
Anyways thanks for looking :) oh the image is a bit blurry as its from my camera phone .

Sunset over metropolis

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:01 -0800

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Sunset Over Metropolis
80 X 150 cm
Acrylic inks on canvas
Dec - Jan 2012

This is the start of a new series based on dual viewpoints. It gives the natural and traditional view of the artist to model but also an indication of the the models perspective through the reflective surface. This is a natural progression for me from the sunglasses images I have previously painted and I intend to develop them further into something different with full face portraits and reflective surfaces made through the use of projectors, mirrors and glass to create false environments that distort the Human face creating abstractions in reality.

Observation, acrylic ink canvas

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:56:41 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Observation
122 x 55 cm
Acrylic inks on canvas
Oct 2011

This painting continues with my ongoing theme of using the eye as a motif to visually represent the concept of capturing more detail than what the human eye can see in its natural state of observation.

Although I used photographic references for this painting, I deviated away from an exact replica and incorporated my own ideas of what I felt was correct for this image, such as changing and adding details that are not there in the photographs or heightening and sharpening the focus into a more defined image.

work in progress

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:14:53 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Close up cropped view of the painting I am currently working on.

There will be lots of strands of hair from that bloody fringe !

whites of her eyes prob bit too bright and white and will tone them down a bit.

taken on my camera phone thats why its a small pic, but the quality aint too bad considering its only a phone.

On reflection, acrylics on linen

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:04:59 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

On reflection
acrylics on linen
120 x 120 cm
july-aug 2011

This painting was made from one of my spontanious pictures. I was wondering around NYC with my camera and came across two ladies and asked them to pose for me. I became intrigued by the reflections and how it becomes a focal point on a portrait painting. I think i may be doing more of these with a variety of different reflections going on, its also a way to bring new colour into my work. I like how it distorts reality and includes whats going on outside of the main focal point of a face.

in the right lens you can make out a person leaning against a wall, that is Tom martin who I was on vacation with. In the other left lens you can just about make out a person, thats me taking the picture holding a small white bag. If you look in the background you can make out a person walking and some steps.

thanks for looking. :-)

beer n Graf :-)

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:52:00 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

SIMEDIA

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:42:29 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Me, media and sane
at the freak show event in Tamworth 2011.

we turned up with not a clue of what we was going to paint, its was also the first time i picked up a spray can in 23 years !

work in progress shot, acrylics

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 04:56:27 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

work in progress
close cropped photograph
130 X 130 cm
acrylics on linen

I've not posted a work in progress for a while on here, so here's one..

still got the rest of her face to complete. Looking forward to painting her mouth, hopefully I get some good details into it.

I ♥ Realism, acrylic inks

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 06:30:05 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

I ♥ Realism
Acrylic inks on canvas
90 X 160 cm
May 2011

A combination of portraiture and still life through referencing the source photograph.

The holte end, acrylics on canvas

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:17:33 -0700

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

‘The Holte End’
90x150cm
Acrylics & Pencil on canvas
2010- 2011

Original source photographic reference was taken prior to Kick off around 4pm on Sunday 9th May 2010. It was the last match of the season for Aston Villa FC of the English Premier League.

Aston Villa were playing at their home stadium Villa Park and their opponents for this match were Blackburn Rovers. The game ended with a loss for the home team. Aston Villa 0 - 1 Blackburn Rovers.

The Villa finished 6th in the league and secured a place in European football in the Europa league cup. (For those interested, Blackburn finished 10th in the league!)

This is a view from the Lower North Stand block R6 looking out towards the historical Holte End Stand.

The painting captures a moment in time which instantly passed but is now documented forever.

studio / palette view

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:35:43 -0800

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

perception, close up

nobody@flickr.com (Simon Hennessey ' Simz ') — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:35:34 -0800

Simon Hennessey ' Simz ' posted a photo:

Perception
Acrylic inks & pencil on canvas.
this close up view shows the mark making and skin textures a bit more clearly.