William Bethel IV

From the artist, Garth Herrick:

The request to make an image honoring someone who died tragically by gun violence, has provided an extraordinary opportunity to learn about an extraordinary young man, and to learn about his particular skills, and character as a leader, scholar and athlete, so highly respected and loved by his friends, community and family.  In light of so many possible ways this portrait could have honored his life, it is fortunate that a number of his friends were devoted to documenting him in videos as he artfully pursued daring performances on his bicycle.  For me, this brought him to life with a sense of purpose, as I watched these videos for hours on end for inspiration.  I caught view of the central portrait image in a news broadcast and was captivated by his solemn and steadfast expression.  The scene was set.  In the end I chose to leave the portrait unfinished and dreamlike, to capture his extraordinary abbreviated life.

From the curator: The Souls Shot portrait project was fortunate to have a celebrity volunteer his talents to honor one of the many victims of gun violence in our communities. If you view the video made about the third edition of the project you will see and hear a little about the process Garth took in his quest to get to know this young man. While this project was designed for all fine artists, regardless of their traditional portrait skills, we are honored that Garth chose to participate. The diversity of styles, approaches, and mediums used by our artists tell the stories of the victims in wonderfully different ways - as unique of each of the souls depicted.

William Bethel IV Portrait of William Bethel IV by Garth Herrick oil on panel 12” x 36” 2019