A collector’s piece with the backstory

Only a few oil paints and one filbert hog hair brush #4 was used to create this art piece, the first painting created after 20yrs of silence. 

The backstory:

The final documented work completed by JD Hawk prior to his extended hiatus dates to 1999. The painting, a 4 ft. x 4 ft. portrait depicting a gentleman kneeling beside his dog, was originally held in a museum collection. Its present whereabouts remain unverified, as the artist has not revisited this period of his career.

Following the completion of this work, Hawk experienced significant personal and professional adversity, including loss, hardship, and a period of homelessness. The separation from his artistic practice and the disappearance of much of his early oeuvre had a profound emotional and creative impact, resulting in a twenty-year cessation from painting.

In 2019, during a journey along the east coast of Canada, Hawk encountered the life and legacy of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis. Her story of perseverance and dedication to her art served as a catalyst for his own return to painting.

On October 18, 2019, Hawk produced Fresh Apple, his first oil painting in two decades. Executed with a restrained palette and a Filbert hog-hair brush, the work signifies both a renewal of artistic purpose and a pivotal moment in the artist’s continuing development.