Paul Harbutt is an internationally exhibiting artist currently living and working in Hudson NY.
The first painting from the new studio. . Occasionally, there occur dramatic events that, from one day to another, profoundly change us. They can create seismic shifts in our lives, and leave us stunned, unable to grasp in a rational way what just happened. During this past Spring, one of my dearest friends suddenly died. She was a fellow artist from Australia, and I had known her for well over forty years. We first met in the early 70s on some stairs during a crazy SOHO loft party. She had strikingly beautiful ice blue eyes, wild blond hair, and was just bursting with the joy of youth. She was outrageous, funny, and irresistible, and after 15 minutes of intense conversation, where I learnt where she came from, what she did, and whom she had just passionately fallen in love with, I realized that I now had a new friend. In fact, she became one of my most adored and intimate friends, and part of my life. So when I heard that she was dying, it was devastating. During the weeks that had led up to her death, I was deeply involved in moving to a wonderful new studio. When I eventually settled down, and started thinking about making some new work, I realized that I wanted to make these new paintings about my dear friend. I felt an overwhelming and intense desire to hold on to her in some way and keep her forever in this world. By making paintings about her I thought that I could make her immortal, and at the same time transform my grief into something tangible and positive. Thus began this new series of works. From my perspective, they are full of Wendy. Her wild energy, and joie de vivre, and the intense and sensual color that she seemed to radiate. And hopefully, they are also full of her endless generosity and love.
Paul Harbutt 