Billy Hertz

Billy Hertz paintings (would you think appropriately?) are in two special collections which gives pause for thought when you consider that he is the personification of a witty southern Kentucky gentleman and a determined Francophile. But the Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporate Headquarters features works by Billy Hertz as do the internationally acclaimed firms of McCann Erickson and the Humana Corporation. The colors of the Cote d'Azure please the taste of these corporate giants and Billy says, "What started out as landscapes have become portraits, especially with the olive trees. These ancient trees, I believe, reflect not only history, but a way of life filled with joy and laughter and music. They seem to me somehow self-assured. These trees say, 'look at me: I know where I've been, and I know who I am.'"

That spirit of seeing depth in the obvious is apparent in all of Billy's brilliant colors and captivating landscapes. The sun and Billy are partners, and his trees are extraordinary when seen through his eyes. Primarily of Olive Trees, though like no other olive trees in the world, each is so distinctive that one cannot imagine another could be less or more original - yet, this is true.

Some painters produce works which are so remarkable that they can be shown in combinations without distracting from one another. Billy Hertz paintings are such works and, therefore, are ideal for very difficult spaces which turn up in homes where a "group" or "small collection" is almost a requirement. The touched-by-van-Gogh traces in Billy Hertz are unique in today's art scene.

Billy Hertz paints engrossing, smile-producing paintings which will never lose their artistic integrity and value, even less their monetary stature in our troubled world.