"I feel a tremendous amount of excitement facing a new canvas. This energy comes from the thrill of transforming it into a recollection of my travels to the world's most beautiful and romantic places. As an Expressionist, I paint fast while the passion for the painting is very strong. For me, the paint is the subject matter just as much as the image. I love the juicy chunks of color that I can translate to canvas with my palette knife."

For the past 25 years, Howard Behrens, the world's most renowned palette knife artist, has had a romance with the sun. From the idyllic lakes of Italy to the intimate gardens of New England, the artist has danced with her, chased her, seen her in her many different moods. Behrens' motivation comes from his strong passion to capture the "essence" of the places he visits around the world. Monet, Van Gogh and Nicola Simbari (the Italian palette knife artist) have influenced the artist. Behrens attempts to express his love for the radiance of the sun's gifts - shadow, light, color, and the subtle nuances of these elements. Behrens is also a classicist in his approach to composition; there is plenty of room for the eye to rest and the imagination to wander. Many years ago, Behrens learned that he could acheive boldness and control of color by using a palette knife instead of a brush. Behrens moves the palette knife furiously as he applies deep, rich color in many layers to achieve dimension and mood. Behrens' skill with this instrument has earned him recognition as America's leading palette knife artist. During his travels, he has seen the way the ever-changing kaleidoscope of light and shadow changes how a place looks and feels from hour to hour. Often the artist sits and waits for these moods to present themselves to him. Behrens says that the sun has taught him to be patient, to observe, and to play. The artist’s excitement continues to peak as he plans each new trip -whether it's a return to a place he has painted before or whether it's a new adventure in a land unknown. Behrens has had over 150 one-man shows from coast-to-coast since becoming a professional artist in 1980. His works have been on the covers of many art publications and he has been the featured subject of numerous magazines and newspapers. After visiting Giverny, France last year, the artist created a "Tribute to Monet" series that was exhibited at the Embassy of France in Washington, D. C.

As an official artist for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Behrens' painting, "In Motion," was featured at the games. The artist's works are owned by numerous, well-known collectors and are in the permanent collections of many museums. Behrens and his wife, Judi, travel the world - Italy, Bermuda, Mexico, across America - to many of their favorite places filled with gardens, inns, vistas, and villas. Howard Behrens was born in Chicago, but is a long-time resident of the, D. C. area. He holds a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in Fine Art from the University of Maryland.

“If ever there was a composer of color, it is Howard Behrens, a brilliant painter who has emerged among a sea of artists to become the preeminent modern master of the palette knife and an incomparable translator of color. Howard Behrens’ distinctive palette knife technique evokes a passion in collectors that is similar to the thrill that Monet’s works create with his collectors. Behrens’ incomparable style, insightful use of color, and compelling subject matter are much reminiscent of the great French master. Indeed . . . BEHRENS IS WELL ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING THE MONET OF THE 21ST CENTURY.”

Former Editor-in-Chief – Art Business News

Classically trained and intensely focused, Howard Behrens paints with dramatic intensity – using a palette knife to create his works. Light, color, and texture define his works.

Behrens has had a legendary history. He has been ranked among America’s most-collected artists for the last 20 years. Before starting his fulltime professional career as a painter, he earned a Master’s Degree in Art and he was the Chief Artist at the U.S. Government Printing Office in Washington, DC.

Behrens has held more than 250 “One Man Shows” since the beginning of his career. As the creator of the “embellished” limited edition, and now in more than 10 museums - Behrens’ skill with the palette knife has earned him recognition as the “preeminent modern master of the palette knife.” His works have graced the cover of most art publications and he has been the subject of numerous feature stories in magazines and newspapers. The Great Masters Monet and Van Gogh greatly influence his work.

After a trip to Giverny, France in Year 2000 – Behrens completed an entire series as a “Tribute to Monet” that was exhibited at the Embassy of France in Washington, DC in 2001. As an official artist for the Winter Olympics 2002, his painting, “In Motion” was featured at the Winter Games. Behrens’ celebrity collectors include former President Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush, the Italian Ambassador to the United States, Pavarotti, the late Princess Diana, and Donald Trump. He was recently selected for the 2007 “VIP National Register’s - Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals.” He and his studio have been featured on Home & Garden TV (HGTV). His original works have been shown in fine art galleries across the U.S. and offshore. His limited edition Behrens’ serigraphs, giclees, serio-lithographs, and open-edition posters are distributed worldwide.