Within the relatively square format of his canvasses, the asymmetric composition, the division of space with strong vertical and horizontal structure, Herbert McClure searches for the simplest of forms. Neither completely abstract, nor realistic, his paintings convey his feelings about color-space relationships while evoking drama and emotion.

The figure or subject is the focus of concentration, the point in the picture where the directional lines converge. The color becomes more intense and the forms more varied and detailed. The large open spaces heighten this area of concentration. His color is sensuous. While the faces are barely indicated, elements are juxtaposed in many subtle ways to create a sense of movement and tension.

Herbert McClure, born in Hazelwood, NC, in 1921, worked as a design illustrator in High Point,, NC; Greenville, SC; and Roanoke, VA, before World War II. After serving in the U.S. Army during the war, he settled in the New York area and continued his design work in the fast growing advertising industry. Although mostly a self-taught artist, McClure was a student of Howard Trafton and Frank Reilly at the Art Students League in New York City, and Louis Shanker and Gregorie Prestopino at the New School of Social Research in New York .

After his studies, McClure lived in the South until his death in 1985. McClure paintings are widely held in private collections in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.