Modern Impressionist Paintings Habib always knew he was going to be an artist when growing up around his family’s textile business. He started designing textile patterns at the age of ten and quickly discovered a career in art. Born in Karachi, Pakistan in the mid-50s, Habib was greatly influenced by the bold statements of pop artists of the 1960s – Peter Max, Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg, among others. After coming to the United States at age 15, Habib received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). A 45-year career in advertising and graphic design followed in Nashville, TN, during which time he branded some of America’s best-known companies. However, creating fine art was never far from his heart and in the 1990s, he selected oil painting as his medium of choice. Habib’s canvases are painted using a variety of oil-mixing media, giving the images transparent washes of color as well as thick, bold statements using his palette knife. Each painting celebrates the powerful effects of light as it dances off the chosen subject. More recently, he has been painting in water-based media as well. Today, in addition to owning an advertising agency, Habib maintains a painting studio in Nashville, TN where he paints landscapes, still lifes and vignettes inspired by such modern impressionists as John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn and Joaquin Sorrolla. His subject matter ranges from intimate landscape scenes to international settings inspired by his travels– each painted in a brushy, impasto style. Artist’s Statement“I love making heroic statements out of everyday situations. My technique is to use bold brush strokes while leaving parts of the painting undefined to invite viewer participation. The fewer brush strokes the better…just enough to leave an impression and keep the viewer engaged.”