PRESS RELEASE 29^TH APRIL 2007

Artist Joe Hendry – ‘Lives His DREAM’

Artist Joe Hendry is currently riding on the crest of a wave as his ‘Living the Dream’ exhibition, his first major solo event, is being hosted at Park Gallery on Glasgow’s Southside with a Preview Launch on Thursday 10^th May 2007 and continuing until 25^th May 2007

‘Living The Dream’ has captured Joe’s emotion and enthusiasm with the reality that he is achieving tremendous success as a professional artist from one of his earliest interests as a child.

Joe was born in East Kilbride in 1966. His parents, who had moved from Glasgow to East Kilbride ‘New Town’ in 1954, kept him amused through a childhood illness by buying him paints and colouring books which Joe claims “was one of the inspirational memories of growing up and loving art”.

Educated at Claremont High School, Joe’s parents were advised to persuade him to drop art as a subject in favour of following a science and academic program. In his 5^th year at Claremont, Joe included an Art Ordinary Grade in his curriculum alongside his program of Higher Grade subjects. After his O Grade prelim his course tutor Jim Barclay recommended that he should do a crash course and work towards an Art Higher Grade which he achieved.

His first sale of art was in an East Kilbride annual art event when he was only 15 years old and winning 2^nd prize in the school art competition encouraged Joe to go further on his artistic journey.

Having been given an ‘Unconditional Offer’ by Glasgow College of Building and Printing in Glasgow, Joe enrolled on the 4 year degree course for the ‘British Institute of Interior Design’ in the late eighties, Joe believes that having drawn and painted since childhood, the traditional elements which were present throughout the entire degree course helped keep alive his interest in drawing and painting. “We were fortunate at that time to be taught by some really creative individuals including George Birrell, George Devlin and Pam Carter.”

One of only two who graduated with ‘Distinction’, Joe began his professional life as an interior designer. “I believe the course stood me in very good stead for what lay ahead” recalls Joe. “It was an old-fashioned course really with no computer design until a very limited amount in 4^th year. Everything was produced on the drawing board with metal T squares. In first year we were not even allowed to use graphic pens: it had to be pencil to teach us to draw properly. It was, however, real design to degree standard: none of your “changing rooms” nonsense!”

As time grew close to enter the real world and earn a living, Joe managed to secure a position as Design Assistant with one of Scotland’s premier office design companies. Apart from a short stint in the early 90’s when he left to sculpt miniatures for his brother’s company Joe stayed with this company to work his way up from Design Assistant to Design Director.  

This was a period of intense work on projects for companies such as Motorola and the Bank of Bermuda. “It was great fun as well as the obvious serious side of building functional workspaces. The feedback from customers entering their new workspace first time was fantastic. I thrived on it and it was exciting having huge budgets to spend along the way for items such as wall coverings and carpets”.

2004 was the year when burnout arrived. Unannounced and quite devastating, Joe’s life as he knew it came to a stop. “I simply remember becoming more fatigued by the day till it was just overwhelming. From someone who rose at 6 am, drove to Edinburgh from Glasgow, worked an intensive day and returned home any time between 7pm and 9pm in the evening, I became this person who had to rest on a flight of stairs and couldn’t walk the length of my hallway”. Joe was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or M.E. in the second half of 2004 and having not worked in over six months, had to face the fact that he would not be returning to interior design any time soon.

As the cliché goes, “every cloud has a silver lining”. Whilst enjoying his, design career, if you had asked Joe Hendry what would ‘Living the Dream’ be for him, it would have been painting. He has his daughter to thank for the turnaround which led Joe down the path that he now follows. One rainy Sunday, after splashing some paint around with his 10 year old, she suggested they sell it. The piece was promptly placed for sale online and forgotten about. It was only a week later, when notice of a sale came through that things really took a new direction.

“I had dabbled with selling work over the years but never anything serious. Whilst this still wasn’t serious, I thought it was worth investigating further. At this point I was having good days and bad days. Taking advantage on the good days, I would paint what I could. I also used some of the computing skills which I had picked up during my design career and in addition to joining various online art sales sites, I set up joehendry.com”.

“It was strange the way things developed. I wasn’t making huge profits, but the fact I was earning some income was very encouraging. The main thing though was the comments which I received from customers. It really had a positive effect.” Early success began when the Blondie Review magazine contacted Joe and published a 2 page article in their 5^th anniversary edition about his work.

Following this, Joe was contacted by a buyer of whom he was suspicious at first. “He asked for a piece which I had for sale and told me that he needed it in New York in time for an event he was holding. The painting would have to be sent before the payment would have cleared and I asked him about this. He informed me that he owned several Warhol originals and had even loaned them to a London gallery for exhibiting. He also had a well known address so I thought it was worth the risk! It turned out to be real, not a scam and this was a sign to me that I was doing something right”.

Following this, Joe began to paint full time in January 2005 and worked as his health permitted. “I have not been confident at marketing myself and most of the events which have happened have been people who have been interested in what I do approaching me rather than me banging on their door”.

Joe’s first exhibition was at the award winning Art in the Park event in Blackpool, organised by entrepreneur Robin Ross. Other successes followed including a buyer for Warner Brothers purchasing several pieces.

In 2006, Joe’s work was included in Roger Taylor’s book “Marilyn in Art” and was also chosen as one of the pieces to promote the book in the period leading up to its launch.

Joe recently signed a contract with Caxton Publishing and has three pieces included in the new book by Mem Mehmet (author of “Madonna in Art) entitled “Diana in Art”. This is homage to Princess Diana and will have a worldwide release to coincide with what would have been Diana’s 46^th birthday in 2007.

In the past two years, Joe has exhibited throughout the UK, with his latest exhibition being hosted at Park Gallery in Glasgow. Joe comments, “I am really excited about this exhibition for a number of reasons – it is my largest solo exhibition and includes a new range of art enabling me to express the diversity of my work – from my icon art to landscapes and to male & female figurative”.

“Park Gallery is renowned for hosting a wide and varied exhibition program and with their Rolf Harris event in April and the Jack Vettriano event in June; my show in May couldn’t be sandwiched in between two better exhibitions by two of the greatest living artists!”

David Johnstone, Park Gallery Director, comments “This original art exhibition of Joe Hendry’s work is a testament to the resilience of a young artist with a dream who has worked and developed a unique and varied style which is already exciting our clients. We have sold a number of images and have taken commissions for new works ahead of the event launch. I am delighted with the reaction to Joe’s work and the pre-sales confirm our belief that Joe will be another asset in our portfolio of artists”.