March 29, 2024

Paul Van Heest

July 31, 2011
Motivated by a couple of politely persistent emails and a recommendation
from a print company, Kuhlhaus Gallery owner Tim Coon remembers first
discovering the artwork of Paul VanHeest.
“We go to Australia during the USA winters,” Coon recollects, “and while
we were there in the winter of 2009-2010, we got an email from Paul
suggesting we might wish to consider working with him, but I had no time
to respond. In March, he sent another email, this time mentioning that
Vada Print Company in Traverse City had recommended us to him. The second
email motivated me to look at Paul’s website, which immediately sold both
Helen (wife and gallery co-owner) and me.”

WHIMSICAL COLOR
VanHeest, who is also a 28-year veteran teacher of middle-school students,
works almost exclusively in colored pencil (with the occasional foray into
charcoal), crafting intricately detailed, whimsical drawings that often
focus on fanciful characters and unlikely scenarios.
“It’s difficult for me to pick out any one favorite of Paul’s works,
simply because so many of them are so cleverly humorous and so well
executed,” Coon says.
VanHeest’s “Globophobic Porcupine” depicts a colorful,
meticulously-rendered drawing of a porcupine who is afraid of balloons;
“Monkeyshines” shows a monkey holding a traffic light where each of the
“lights” are provided by a red, yellow, or green animal (parrots,
grasshoppers, lizards, frogs); and “Walking on Eggshells,” one of
VanHeest’s most popular works, depicts a rhinocerus with cement blocks
chained to his feet, carrying a heavy-set Chinaman on his back who is
holding a safe topped with three suitcases, a stool, a bowling ball, and a
monkey, all walking on eggs. The latter has been the winner of at least a
half-dozen awards in various exhibitions.

STYLISH HUMOR 
VanHeest’s works are appealing for a variety of reasons, Coon says.
Paul’s art is executed with great precision; is usually very colorful; is
chock-full of humor and whimsy; and usually - but not always - has an
underlying story. It is quite unlike anything we have ever seen before.”
Coon adds that one of the highlights of VanHeest’s exhibit will be the
opportunity to meet Paul himself on the day and evening of the exhibit
opening (Friday, August 5) and also during his stint as the gallery’s
“Artist in the Window” the following day, on which VanHeest will be
working “on display.”
   “Like Paul’s art, he is a stylish guy who is full of humor,” Coon says.
“He is the kind of middle-school art teacher we all would love to have
had.”

Paul VanHeest’s artwork will be on display at Kuhlhaus Art in Harbor
Springs (294 East Third Street, telephone 231-526-4204) beginning August
5. For more info on Mr. VanHeest, please visit www.paulvanheestart.com;
for more info on Kuhlhaus, visit them online at www.kuhlhausart.com. 

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