1. Balcony in Ponza, Italy -- 5000 pcs, Howard Behrens
2. Lake Como Landing, Italy -- 3000 pcs, Howard Behrens
3. Promenade to the Sea -- 1000 pcs, Howard Behrens
4. Villa Cipriani Archway -- 500 pcs, Howard Behrens

Howard Behrens was born in Chicago, USA, in 1933. He began to paint when he was 17, after an accident which obliged him to stay in bed. For some time he considered the possibility of a career as a medical illustrator, and was accepted at the Medical Arts School of the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. But his decision was to go to Maryland University to get a degree in painting and sculpture.

When he was 24, he started working as an illustrator in a Government printing agency. The work included annual reports, brochures, large-scale books, etc., but also the task which marked his beginning as an artist -- an engraving of John Hancock for a 12-cent postage stamp.

During the 17 years that he worked for the Government, he spent his free time painting. And when not painting, Howard Behrens devoted himself to another of his great passions: travelling through different countries seeking inspiration in the beauty of the places he visited. He went round the sun-drenched coasts of the United States, the exuberant tropical areas of the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico and the seductive warmth of the Italian Riviera, the south of France and the Mediterranean. He was never far away from the sea.

Howard Behrens paints indefatigably in his studio, working rapidly and energetically, giving free rein to all his creativity. His works have a characteristic style and his painting is intense, full of colour and texture. In 1976 his work took a vital turn: he abandoned the brush and went to the palette knife, which enabled to maintain all his creative energy. With this technique, he lays on so much paint, without thinning, that he virtually sculpts on the canvas with the strokes of his palette knife. His decision to give up the paintbrush and to experiment with this tool marked a decisive turning point in his career. Throughout the years, this artist has exhibited in galleries in Europe and the United States and his enduring success has attracted a following of many art critics and collectors.