Patrick Henry is a rare find, a true native of the Eastern Shore. Like so many, he is drawn to the open ocean, bays and marshes of the area, but his heritage allows him to portray these scenes with an insight that is beautiful to behold. Patrick is one of the coastal areas' most recognized painters and is well known for his Eastern Shore scenic paintings.
With the series Another View, which will debut at the Ward Museum in Salisbury, Maryland in 2022, he takes a brave step. The beginnings of this transition from Eastern Shore scenic paintings to paintings that document the African American experience can be seen in the People Places and Things series with paintings such as Backyard Jammin and Balloon Man. Patrick believes that art is communication, and he wants to contribute to the healing needed in the country, and the world.
Born in 1952 in Worcester County, Maryland to Samuel and Marigold Henry, Patrick was one of seven children in the close, spiritual family. As a child he enjoyed exploring the unbounded fields around his family's home on Sinepuxent Road, outside Ocean City. He and his brother Larry ventured through the woods and meadows down to the bay where they would go fishing and clamming. As a teenager working a summer job in Ocean City, he began to paint landscapes and seascapes. At every opportunity, he explored the cultural and natural history around him which still shape his work today.
Henry studied art at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, graduating in 1975, and has continued to be a student of art on a daily basis.