Note Type
Antony Hayton, Exhibit DirectorNote
Johnny "Hook" Daniels (1954-2009)
River Bend on the St. Lucie
Oil on Upson Board circa 1972
Image size 24" X 36"
Johnny, the youngest of the Highwaymen, began his career in the mid-1960s by making frames for Alfred Hair and other artists. At that time, he was still a teenager in high school and was paid 50 cents per frame. His older brother, Willie, was an early member of the group. While attending Lincoln Park Academy, Johnny took art classes taught by Zanobia Jefferson. He learned by observing senior painters, Alfred Hair and Livingston Roberts. "Johnny was probably 13 or 14 when he started painting," said Alfred Hair's son, Kelvin Hair, in 2009. "He would hang out with my father and Willie Daniels while they painted. He actually started out making frames for them and learned to paint during that time."
This classic "St. Lucie River Bend" painting is a scene that various artists frequently depicted. If you explore the exhibit, you'll notice how different artists have interpreted this scene, each altering the light, color, and time of day to make it their own. In this piece, a squall line hovers above a bend in the St. Lucie River as a heron prepares to land. A tool the artists used, a large "reverse C", is evident in the foreground on the right and a notable feature of the painting. The artist, Daniels, was known for his love of wildlife and birds, often including portraits of eagles, wild turkeys, and bears. Although he was the youngest artist in the group, "Hook" was among the most prolific and adept. He was comfortable creating larger works with magnificently colored skies and massive billowing clouds. He was adept with both board and canvas.