Painting is something the 79-year-old Ray Hendershot has been
doing since the fourth grade and he’s still not satisfied.

He’s been painting since he was in elementary school, he
said, even winning a $25 War Bond during WWII for his painting of a poster
supporting troops while he was in the fourth grade.

“That was a lot of money back then,” he said.

He made the comments during the opening of his show, “My
World,” at the Chadds Ford Gallery.

Hendershot always painted and did shows even during his
working career as an engineer heading up product development for American Olean
Co.

He said he became a “real professional” when he retired.

Hendershot works in watercolors and acrylics.

“Even my watercolors are acrylic done in a watercolor
manner. I use it in a watercolor manner and in an oil painting manner when I
use it thick. If you dilute it with water it’s a watercolor. And that’s
acceptable by all the major art associations.”

Noting the detail and the photographic quality of the work,
Hendershot replied simply, “That’s me.”

He went on to say that such a treatment was part of his
progression and growth as an artist, adding a piece of advice for others.

“I always wanted, I always liked realism as an art form and
my older work was more wishy-washy, more of the loose kind of watercolor, but
it just progressed from there. I went a little bit more into it. In my first
book I mentioned that a lot of people stop their watercolors too soon. Simply
adding a little detail here or something over there makes a good watercolor
into an outstanding watercolor. So it’s been a progression, but I’m still not
happy with what I do. I still want to do better,” he said.

While his aim is on realism, Hendershot said most of his
subjects are “pretty much made up. I mean they’re there, but I use a lot of
artistic license. I change things— lighting conditions, I’ll move a tree from
here to there. Anything for an artistic effect.”

The current exhibit has a predominant theme, that of farm
buildings in winter. The theme was not by design, Hendershot said.

“It just happened that way. It’s my favorite season. The
trees are bare, you have the most contrast—white to black—and it just hits me
more,” the artist said.

He added that while he does some still life painting, it’s
all geared toward the rural life. Yet, he does have some other ideas.

One project is what he called, “an architectural approach”.
He ’s looking to painting the sides of buildings, showing shadows from fire
escapes, windows and other such structures.

“A lot of shadow and light effect. That’s what I’d really
like to do.”

His exhibit runs through the end of October.