Donna Howard

“Art tells a story. Whether that story lasts a moment in time or an eon, there it is for you to respond to. There it is for you to interpret and make it your own. I think art asks you to cozy up close for a minute and listen. And you will. You’ll listen to the ones that catch your attention. Maybe you’ll think of them the next week or the next year and realize how they imprinted on you. There’s art in your life, and there’s a reason you have it. It adds something to your existence! Another dimension. Maybe a smile, or a laugh, perhaps a sense of beauty or horror or joy. It can give you exactly what you need.”

“My paintings are meant to be whimsical and kind of quirky despite the sometimes desperate cry for help they really were. I needed to twist up my dark world into something colorful, comfortable and safe. Work I could laugh at and ultimately make peace with. My characters, the birds, cats, fish – whatever, are typically self-portraits or family members. They help tell the stories.”

“I believe my style of painting stems from a wish for a bit of control over an out of control life. Layers of brush strokes build upon each other like mesmerizing little geometric color studies. I use a nearly dry brush technique in order to have the most control over the paint. You can often see the lines of the Sharpie marker used to draw out the canvas. A little bit is added – or left behind if I feel it enhances the work.”