Brenda Howell

Brenda Howell was born in Oklahoma and grew up in New Mexico and Southern California. Her mother was an artist and art teacher and began training her daughter to draw the human figure in early childhood. Being included with her mother’s outdoor sketching classes was the beginning of a lifelong love of exploring and depicting the natural world. “She instructed me in drawing and painting in watercolor and oils before I was five years old. I was inspired by her painting at home and outdoors on family camping trips. She enabled me to look at the world with the eyes of an artist, noticing colors and shapes and teaching me drawing skills,” Howell relates.

In college Brenda's interests were wide ranging and she earned a B.A. in Sociology at Cal State Fullerton, but always studied art: in high school, and at Orange Coast College, Fullerton College, Philbrook Museum School, Tulsa Community College and Scottsdale Artists School.

After working for more than 20 years in graphic design, illustration and drafting Brenda began painting full time in 2003. She is known for her Grand Canyon paintings and other landscapes and seascapes. Her work has been honored by the Realism Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Second Prize at the National Oil and Acrylic Painters “Best of America” show, and awards in such shows as American Women Artists, Salon International, and Art Renewal Center. She was invited for a solo show and guest instructor residency at Pearce Western Art Museum in Texas, and served as Artist-in-Residence at Badlands National Park. Her work resides in the permanent collections of both institutions and is in public and private collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. She was featured in Southwest Art Magazine’s Artist to Watch in 2013.

Brenda Howell currently resides in Northern New Mexico and is represented by Huey's Fine Art in Santa Fe.

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.