The Ensemble Painting

Life is a gift. Make the most of it by following your passion and never looking back.H. Hargrove The story of H. Hargrove begins with colored pencils.For his tenth birthday in 1951, Nicolo Sturiano received a gift of colored pencils. Little did he realize that this present would be the catalyst for developing a talent which would take him from his home in Italy to Americaand the distinction of being one of his adopted countrys most-collected living artists.Twelve years later, now formally trained as a wine chemist by the Wine Institute of Marsala, Nicolo accepted a position in a small vineyard in upstate New York. His career soon changed direction when he discovered and fell in love with the rural countryside, which reminded the homesick young man of his native Italy. Struck by the beauty and antiquity of the weathered barns and covered bridges, Nicolo spent his weekends afield with his easel, canvas, brushes, and paint. The winery owners were so impressed with his images that they asked him to create art for the tasting room. Much to Nicolos delight, the paintings garnered more praise than the wine, and the rest, as they say, is history.Soon, Nicolo found himself in New York City, selling paintings to a Greenwich Village gallery. Americana became his subject of choice, so he felt he had to find an American name under which to paint. In clichd but classic fashion, he turned to the telephone book, found a listing for Hargrove, H, and assumed the name for his own.A Chicago art distributor discovered the work of the newly-renamed H. Hargrove, and soon his paintings were being collected throughout the Midwest. As his fame spread, collectors demanded to meet the artist, and his first Chicago presentation drew nearly two thousand people, most of whom carried their own Hargrove paintings to be autographed personally by their favorite artist. Today, over a million pieces of H. Hargroves art are displayed in homes throughout the world. Earlier open editions soon led to limiteds, and today every Hargrove is offered only in limited edition runs. His annual Christmas Limiteds have found warm welcomes in the homes of thousands of art lovers nationwide, and many sell out following their debut on the cover of the fall edition of the quarterly Hargrove newsletter.In 1996, H. Hargrove created a commemorative painting for the Centennial Olympic Games: "From Athens to Atlanta" proved to be one of the artists most celebrated works.