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W.D. Harden
Georgia Outsider Artist
Whose behind that Hellhound on His Trail? Harden was born and raised sippin' on sweet tea in smalltown Georgia. After graduating from UGA with an education in the scientific aspects of agri-business, he was unfulfilled with working in a laboratory. WD became aware of and fascinated by folk/outsider art as a genre. Amazed by the work he witnessed it gave him the inspiration and courage to try his own hand creating his unique style of work! WD has been a successful Outsider/Self Taught artist ever since! R.A. Miller was a major influence in WD' s work and later became a wonderful friend & mentor. (RIP Our Beloved R.A. ~ Gone to The Stars ~ 1912-2006... You Will Be Truly Missed!!) Other early influences include: Tubby Brown, Rev. Howard Finster, St. E.O.M., Bill Traylor, Jim Sudduth and many other great Southern Outsiders! Newer Inspirations Include... The beautiful Gypsy Moon Child, New Mexico High Desert artist/musician extraordinaire, J.D. Sipe, Georgia Boys: Eric Legge, & Jon Whiddon. Harden, a musician / guitarist with a love for the original blues of Robert Johnson, was inspired by the lyrics of perhaps Johnson's most famous tune, "Got a HellHound on My Trail." The story of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil in exchange for being able to be the best musician and play guitar like no other man, stalked the rest of his days by HellHounds to make sure the Devil collected on the promise, is a biting lesson to beware of bad bargains, and has been a profound influence on Harden in developing his signature character, and his new spin off characters with his artistic cosmology! And The Road ~ Goes On Forever... Over a decade ago, WD started out painting his own interpretation of those HellHounds and has painted them ever since! Music plays a HUGE role in his creative process... Jammin' to the Blues makes his Paint Brush Fly! WD is letting his creative Mojo Flow... out in his studio, gettin' down and spinnin' the discs of The Allman Brothers Band, the new works of Bob Dylan, young blues wonder Sean Costello, cosmic blues by the incredible John Hammond, the warped streetwise poetry of Tom Waits, down home blues interpretation of Doc Merle Watson, the pop/blues/rock of Athens GA's Bill Mallonee, the midlife in your face rage of Steve Earle's rockin' alt country blues and many more. The HellHound has become his most well known signature character, however over the years, WD has diversified so much from his early years and also paints Flying HellHounds, Helligators, guitar tailed snakes, awesome abstract totems, and surprise subjects such as religious / political satire, that just jump out! Currently, WD is venturing into an incredible NEW expression from within himself ~ an Individualistic RAW abstract style where anything goes! Paintings, Character Cut Outs, Amazing Colorful Abstract Assemblages using only found objects and recycled oddity's are now being created! Hellhounds Hit The Happy Highway... Throughout the years, WD has displayed and sold his Amazing creations at a host of impressive Outsider / Self Taught Art Assembly's, Folk Art Shows, Festivals & Galleries. Just to be a name dropper: from Myrtle Beach House of Blues, WhoFest in Atlanta, Cooper-Young Art Fest in Memphis, WhoFest in Chattanooga, AthFest in Athens, GA, Day in the Country Art Show, Morehead, KY, Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, GA, Mennello Museum Art Show, Orlando, FL, Finster Fest, Inner Bean in Augusta, GA, RiverFest in Columbus, GA, Steve Slotin's FolkFest in Atlanta, GA since 1997, Hoo-Doo Mo Gallery, MO, Georgia Southern College, GA, The Do-Nanny Roadside Art Show in Pittsview, AL, Mike's Art Truck Gallery, Atlanta, GA, Around Back at Rocky's Place, Dawsonville, GA, DogDays Art Show in Atlanta, and all the way out to Steve White's Yard Fest in Albuquerque, NM!! WD has many fans, customers and private collectors from around the world and we THANK each and everyone!! Another HellHound Out Into The World? ~ Heaven!! Hallelujah! There's No Place Like Home ~ Flyin'D found a shining moon light at the end of the tunnel (or was that the end of his rope?) and returned back to his roots in Georgia!! He is happily living a Loving, Inspiried, Peaceful, Positive Life each day on his journey with his Gypsy Moon ~ Megan @ the NEW Blue Sky Manor!! They are keepin' That Love Light Shinin' & Blue Skies Blazin'!!
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