Interview with Henry Dixon by Adam P. Kennedy
You were born in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up in Chicago, IL. When did you start painting?
Well let’s see. I first started really painting when I moved to Michigan. Mostly I liked to draw when I was in Chicago. I left Chicago when I was about eighteen. I didn’t start painting until I entered college.
But you had been drawing prior to that?
Yes a lot of drawing. In fact it got me in a lot of trouble? (Laughing)
In what way?
I loved drawing so much. I was drawing in class when I should have been doing my work. And I got caught several times but that didn’t stop me from drawing. It stopped me from drawing in class but not from drawing outside of class.
Did drawing come naturally to you?
I think it did. I think it came naturally. I’ve been trying to figure out who in the family had an inclination to art and I haven’t found out yet. I think that if there is someone creative within the family it can come out in another person in a different way. My father had his own business and he could usually come up with ways that could better his business. And that’s being creative. I think I got that part of him but it came out in a different way.
What kind of business was your father in?
He was doing odd jobs. When he was in Florida he did odd jobs for people, fixing things, electrical work, he came up with ways to secure peoples home if they got a warnings about hurricanes. He invented his own cleaning solutions. Things like that. He was creative like that.
Since there weren’t any artists in your family was there someone or something that inspired you to start drawing?
I think that the fact that I lived in Chicago I was always going to the museums. And you know what? I don’t know what inspired to me to go the museums. I just loved to go to museums. And my favorite period was the Impressionist.
And this would be the late 1950’s?
Yes, mid to late 50’s. Prior to that I didn’t have any inclinations to go to museum but once we had a class trip to the Chicago Art Institute and I think that’s where I got my desire to start drawing and painting, although my painting didn’t come to me until later.
Did you take a lot of classes in those areas?
Not until college, when I moved to Michigan. Especially in drawing. I really loved life drawing classes, drawing figures was my favorite. Unfortunately there weren’t the caliber of museums where I lived like the ones that had been in Chicago so I stuck with the classes so that I could work with someone who could mentor me through those desires that I had.
You said the Impressionist movement really caught your eye. What was it that intrigued you?
I think it was the various styles. I became particularly interested in watercolor because I liked the work, in fact I loved the work of John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer. I would describe their work as delicious. To me their work was delicious.
That’s fascinating. You see so many paintings of landscapes and wildlife; I think one of the many things that stands out about your work is your everyday people experiencing life. What’s the inspiration for your fine art designs?
When I first stared painting I loved painting wildlife. I couldn’t get enough of it. This was before I started doing my life drawing class. Once in awhile I still paint wildlife but once I took the life drawing class, I fell in love with the figure. I didn’t want to just do portrait paintings I wanted to capture people. Even with my photography I don’t have people posing for me. I like people doing what they normally do.
I read from your site that one of your best friends is your camera.
Oh yes.
When you find a subject can you tell me about your process? Like Neighborhood Watch, with the woman looking out the window. How many pictures did you take of that woman?
I try not to take too many. For me if I have too much to look at I’m stumped. I really am. I try to wait for the moment when I say that’s it and that’s what I get. I don’t want to put myself in that position where it will take me all week to figure out what picture I want to paint.
Once you’ve chosen the photograph, what is your creative process? Do you sketch first?
No. I don’t do a lot of sketching first because I believe a painting could be done in that time. Even though I like drawing, I like painting more, now. So I try and spend more time painting. Normally I would change things from the photograph so what I will do is sketch towards that end. To sketch to see what the painting will look like.
Do you work in transparent watercolor?
Yes. I know it doesn’t’ look like it. If you were to come in real close on the painting you will see that it’s transparent.
The realism in your work is incredible, usually when you see that kind of detail it’s from oil’s. How do you achieve such bold, dynamic and realistic colors?
Well very little dilution. I try not to dilute with so much water. That will give the effect of the colors staying vibrant. I think it works better for you when you keep the paint thick. Watering it down is the traditional way of doing it but I’m not traditional. But I guess you can see that.
Yes, that what makes your work so compelling. The way you capture everyday life, people experiencing life. You really get that sense from so many of your works.
Thank you. In fact I am working on a book for Northlight. It talks about that in the book, painting from everyday life. The three subjects within the book are people, places, and things. That’s what the book is based on.
When will the book be published?
It supposed to be spring of next year, 2009.
That’s very exciting.
Yes it’s very exciting for me. This is something that I’ve wanted since I picked up a pencil and started drawing.
And this is the first one?
Yes and hopefully many more will come.
How long have you been working on the book?
About 8 months now.
How long typically does it take for you to paint one of your pieces?
That’s a question that everybody asks me. It can take me anywhere from a week to a couple of years. Before I started working on the book I’d start a painting and go all hog wild on it and then I may put it aside for a week or a couple of months and then go back to it. Now depending on the size I can do a painting in three days to a week. It varies. Now the paintings that might take up to two years, I’ve put it aside for several months and sometimes I may start another painting in between that time or several paintings and finish them and then go back to that one.
How do you balance the business end of painting with the creative?
I worked for Hallmark for 31 years and I just retired two years ago. I had entered national competitions, that’s how I put myself out there by winning competitions. At the time I didn’t see it as a business, it was something that I enjoyed. And I started working out nationally versus locally. People have asked me this, I figured that if I could start out nationally then I could bring it back home.
You had mentioned some of your favorite painters, Sargent, Homer. Who are some of your other favorite painters, either current or deceased?
Some of the other painters that I really liked where people who did oils such as Nicolai Fechin. Thomas Moran was probably my favorite landscape artist, and probably why I liked painting the Grand Canyon. I fell in love with his Grand Canyon paintings. What’s interesting and a high honor is that Artist Magazine did an article and they kind of compared to Thomas Moran, which was a wonderful honor.
Yes to admire someone and then be compared to them, that’s a great honor.
Yes. Another is Andrew Wyeth and Dean Mitchell, who’s a good friend of mine, and whose work I admire. We worked at Hallmark, that’s where we met.
Have you found any extra challenges in being a black American in the art world?
Yes I have. It’s trying to get into some of our major museums. You know you really don’t see a lot of African Americans in the main stream art in terms of your major art museums. I fell very honored that if you can make it into the White House museum you pretty much don’t worry about that other stuff anymore. (Dixon was selected to represent the State of Missouri whose work was part of the White House Calendar for the year 2001. This work is now part of the permanent collection of the White House Museum.) I just had a piece accepted into the Nerman Museum here in Kansas. So I feel kind of honored.
In terms of artists, African American artists, do you see the situation as better than it was when you first started?
Yes, I think more African American artists are trying to get into the mainstream. Back in the 60’s, 70’s and even the 80’s you didn’t see so much of that. Now a lot more are being accepted.
Do you think that today's preteens, teens are exposed enough to the world of art?
I think so, the reason I say that is we have here in Kansas City area, two high schools that are specifically geared towards fine arts. They are predominantly African American schools. One is here in Kansas City, Missouri and the other is in Kansas City, Kansas. They are very good schools. I had a chance to do some seminars at both schools. I see a lot of talented young people coming out of these schools.
What advice would you give to young artists?
When I talk to young people, the first advice I give to them is to draw. If they do nothing else, draw, draw until you are blue in the face. That’s what people are looking for. I think it’s one of the things that can get you into doors. Then you can choose what you want to do. If you want to teach, if you want apply to work in some type of design studio, if you can draw well you’ve passed your first hurdle. Once you’ve done that you can pick whether you want to paint or sculpt. The first line of defense, as I call it, is to draw.
That’s great advice.
It’s the advice I got when I was growing up.
Finally, is there any topic that you would like to comment on from politics to art?
Yes, it’s kind of happening right now. That is to do a book, even though I’m doing a book now, an instructional book, my major objective is to do a non-instructional book, a book about my work, my life. That’s my major goal and interest right now. I’m hoping that the book I’m working on now will be the kickoff to that.
It has been an absolute pleasure to chat with you and an honor to have you on our site. Thank you, Mr. Dixon.