Tom Mix - Hell Bent for Leather 1928 Print

Dennis Karchner, Artist statement: This oil painting is titled Tom Mix - Hell Bent For Leather 1928, that features the famous silent-era movie cowboy star, Tom Mix. This piece was featured in the TRAVELING THE WEST ART SHOW & SALE in Dallas Texas in October 2015. The photo of Mix that I used as reference was an old black and white with Mix on his Henderson Motorcycle taken in 1928. It was most likely taken where he lived in Oklahoma. The famous Henderson Motorcycles were manufactured in Detroit from 1912 until the coming of the Depression in 1931. The Henderson was used by many police forces in the country because of its speed. Its powerful four cylinder engine could out run anything out there, car or motorcycle at the time. The classic bi-plane in the background I chose is a famous 1928 Boeing Army 100/P-12 which now resides in the The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. It is capable of speeds of up 170mph! I decided it was most appropriate to paint Mix and the Boeing racing