Harper Henry Gold Rush Oil and 24k Gold Leaf 16 x 16 x 3 in Framed Size: 21.75 x 21.75 in Signature Info: H Henry (L.R.) Front & back DESCRIPTION: With this unique portrait the artist hopes to embody and evoke some of the emotion from a Native American child's perspective on the gold rush of 1848-1855. NOTES: Arizona based artist, Harper Henry is known for creating colorful, unique oil paintings focused mainly on horses, animals and figures from the American West. After receiving a BFA in Illustration, she enjoyed a successful 30 year career as a designer/art director in the world of sports apparel and commercial advertising. In 2016, she made the decision to resign and pursue painting full-time. Her work explores an unexpected fusion of abstraction and realism. With her art she aspires to depict the realistic beauty of the subject matter while at the same time presenting the viewer with fractal imagery, movement and emotion. Her influences are Nicolai Fechin, John Singer Sargent and Oleg Stavrowsky. Notes about the painting "Gold Rush" by Harper Henry In thinking about combining gold with an Indigenous portrait, I began researching the California gold rush of 1848-1855. Many of us are aware of the basic historical facts of this event but most are not that cognizant of the profound and devastating impact it had on the Plains Indians and other tribes. My hope with this piece is that it might embody and capture some of the emotional perspective from an innocent Native American child's view of that time period in history. *As with all of my Native American inspired pieces, with the sale of this piece, I will be giving another donation to the Native American Children's Fund (www.nacfok.org).