Clients had this original Howard Behrens in they're dining room and they wanted me to come up with a color and finish that would make it stand out. The reds in the painting were the same as some accents in the rug and dried rose petals in bowl on the table, there was also a lot of "forest green" in the chairs and carpet so this is what I came up with. Unfortunately this photo doesn't render an accurate depiction of the colors but you can still see how the painting stands out. What you don't see is how the new wall finish really allowed the depth of field in the painting to come through, it was like you could reach into the painting! It was a real testament to Berhens mastery of color and the pallet knife. I was fortunate to meet him when he was still working for the U.S. Postal Service, he was having a showing at the old Phillips Art Gallery that used to be in west palm beach. He told me he used a "special lens" when taking reference photos for painting. It was later when I picked up a camera my self that I figured out it must have been a Polarized Lens that he was talking about. He was really nice guy, very approachable.
