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Phlen (Doug) Hicks was born on a farm in Henryville, Indiana, the son of the late H. Grant Hicks, a professor of political science at the University of Louisville, and of Yin-Rei Hicks, an artist. Although he began sketching at the age of five, that talent did not resurface seriously until 1985, when, at the age of 24, Doug began to teach himself the art of portrait painting. Studying the works of the masters, he received his only formal training from his mother, now established as a still-life artist and naturalist. Selecting Rembrandt as his model, Doug concentrated on the interplay of light and shadow creating the special effects and subtleties of flesh tones on the Dutch canveses. His own use of this chiarosucro technique, coupled with his personal artistic vision, results in a haunting style reminiscent of Rembrandt himsle. His studio is on the family farm in Henryville.
