The Gift of Color: Henry Lawrence Faulkner is a page-turning narrative of the life and art of this prolific Kentucky artist.

Book release celebration set for May 17 at Georgetown art gallery.

Born beneath a Wolf Moon in the backwoods of South Central Kentucky, Henry Faulkner’s tenacity to pursue his art took him from a childhood defined by a succession of foster homes to an artistic career that spanned the globe.

Propelled into the world of art with a magical imagination, once Faulkner launched his professional art career in 1958, the demand for his work never ceased. He would find himself in the company of famous writers and dramatists such as Ezra Pound, Tennessee Williams and James Leo Herlihy. As his art career grew his work was collected by celebrities including Bette Davis, Vincent Price and Greta Garbo.

In the newly released The Gift of Color: Henry Lawrence Faulkner, Faulkner’s life and art unfold as a compelling page-turner. Through a powerful narrative, artwork, and Faulkner’s own poetry and writings, The Gift of Color sets the tone for the emotions and moods of this prolific and poetic artistic thinker.

Involving more than a decade of preparation, The Gift of Color is informed through a range of sources that include the Greene A. Settle collection of papers and memorabilia, the University of Tennessee Special Collections, Charles House’s papers and his 1988 book The Outrageous Life of Henry Faulkner, as well as interviews with friends, confidants and patrons who shared their collections of artwork for inclusion in the book.

The Gift of Color is presented in two editions. A boxed edition, limited to 500 books, is showcased in a commemorative leather clamshell that includes a giclée print inset inside. The bookstore edition is a hardbound 12 x 12, first edition coffee table book with more than 100 paintings inside a French-fold dust jacket. Both versions include a selection of Faulkner’s poetry and writings, including a lengthy biographical sketch that recounts his international career in the fast-paced world of mid-century European-style American art.

Just as Faulkner’s career was made possible through the generosity of patrons, it was the collaborative patronage of First Southern National Bank which underwrote the efforts of John S. Hockensmith, Fine Art Editions Gallery & Press, Georgetown, Kentucky, to bring forth The Gift of Color, a labor of love.

Hockensmith is the author and publisher of Gypsy Horses and the Travelers’ Way, and Spanish Mustangs in the Great American West. His collaboration of artists and writers are proud to present The Gift of Color: Henry Lawrence Faulkner. He will celebrate the release of the book at Fine Arts Editions Gallery & Press on Thursday, May 17, 2018 from 5 pm to 8:30 pm, where he will also feature several original Faulkner paintings for sale. Fine Art Editions is located at 146 East Main St., Georgetown, Kentucky.

The Gift of Color is available for purchase through Fine Art Editions Gallery and Press, www.finearteditions.net and at Kentucky Soaps & Such, 203 West Main Street, Stanford, Kentucky, www.kentuckysoapsandsuch.com.