Elizabeth Gartner Howe is an established artist who resides and creates in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, situated on the shores of Lake Superior. For over 35 years, she has been painting directly from nature as well as drawing from her memory of places. Her artistic interest centers on capturing the moment when nature transitions from something that is simply observed to a place where she feels compelled to venture. These moments may arise from a variety of sources, including a vision in her mind's eye of the edge of a cloud, beyond the fence, across the field, or into the garden. When she senses the draw to create, she knows it is time to paint.
Gartner Howe's paintings are primarily executed in oils and acrylics, with both studio and plein air work comprising her practice. Having spent many years as a muralist and creating public art installations, she frequently produces large-scale works. While she holds an affinity for intimate, small-scale pieces, she is invigorated by the impact that larger works can elicit. The essence of her art lies in her ability to convey texture, temperature, wind, and water through the use of soft hues and dynamic strokes, leading the viewer into the painting's depths.
Her works possess a dreamy quality and embody the vibrancy of colors that bring nature to life, extending beyond what may be perceived by the naked eye. Her oeuvre reflects an inclination towards the pursuit of joy, constantly seeking to discover the light and the range of colors that it evokes. Gartner Howe's inspiration stems from the interplay between softness and dramatic textures found within a singular location in nature.
Primarily self-taught, she has benefited from the tutelage of master artists, such as Sheila Davis SCA OSA SFCA, David Langevin, and Richard Claremont, among others. Her works have been featured in various publications, on television, and exhibited in public parks, galleries, and private collections across the United States. Gartner Howe selectively participates in exhibitions throughout the year.
For nearly three decades, her studio has been a place of gathering and learning, where she has instructed art classes. Gartner Howe believes that acquiring the tools and skills of art is a means to expand creative expression. She is continually in search of ways to articulate the colors of nature and to paint where she longs to venture.
As an artist, I am drawn to painting the places that evoke a visceral response in me. These often include clusters of trees, distant barns, and the softness of hues on hillside landscapes. Trees, in particular, with their sculptural forms and reflective qualities, hold a special fascination for me. Whether influenced by the reflective quality of the nearby lake or the moodiness of thick fog, I am driven to capture these moments with broad, direct strokes that carve out the trees and pull the eye forward.
My paintings aim to take the viewer on a journey with me, to experience the wind in the trees, the temperature of the air, and the wetness of the water. I specialize in painting the early moments of day and evening, often capturing the soft colors of the sky and the thick fog with broad, opaque strokes that bring the viewer deep into the painting with glazes and transparent strokes.
My work is characterized by a dreamy quality that seeks to capture the beauty of nature in a soft palette of colors that push the limits of what we typically expect from nature. My large-format paintings transport the viewer into the bigness of nature, while my smaller works offer a more focused view, as if looking through a window. Through my art, I seek to capture the daydream of the places I want to go and to bring the viewer along with me on this journey of light and landscape.