Artist Donna Featured Artist For Artsy Shark
June 21st, 2011 - Woburn, MA
Artsy Shark presents painter Donna Howard as Featured Artist. Enjoy her intriguing portfolio, and see more of her work by visiting her website.
I was born into the Witness Protection Program so the details of my childhood have been kept from me for my own safety. I was released when it was discovered that I was never in any real danger at all. I was turned out into the street with a written apology, a pat on the head and a detailed invoice payable to the FBI for all that protection I never even needed. Talk about being behind before you even begin.
Actually, I was recently paroled from a 15-year sentence in an office cube. It was a fortunate occurrence if you consider all the time I wasted wishing the window directly behind me could open. I grieved for about 5 seconds before going to my attic to find the paintbrushes I remember being so fond of in college. They were a tad dusty and a little more than “slightly miffed” due to my neglect. It seems they forgave me after I introduced them to the shiny new tubes of paint I had purchased just for them. Now our days are spent in joyful anticipation of the challenges each new blank canvas presents.
Except for the part about having a sketchy childhood, the first bit was a complete fabrication. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
This is the bio I used because it’s funny. I’ve read hundreds of artists’ statements trying to get a feel for how I should introduce myself to the world. I chose to try laughter and intrigue – let everyone in on enough of the joke that they want more. I’m a little quirky, I laugh inappropriately, I never suffered for my art. I pretty much avoid suffering if at all possible.
I paint because it makes me happy – and because I don’t have to, I need to. Most of my early work (listen to me, I’ve been painting for all of 5 minutes) are stories I remember from my childhood. Crazy little vignettes, short stories that remain in my memory allowing me to go back and reexamine them at my leisure. Horribly painful memories that turned out to be just benign and ridiculous stories about life.
Like the time I was forced to take ballet with my more lithe, braver, much more coordinated older sister. She danced like a butterfly while I flopped around like a manatee stuffed in a tutu. 128 Wilmington Rd is a memory of my sister telling all the neighborhood kids not to play with me. Looking back, I WAS the little tagalong that big sisters are supposed to bully. A painting is finished when it makes me smile or laugh out loud because I know the whole joke.
I want my art to make people happy. There is just too much unhappiness on this earth and if I can leave someone with a smile, I win. I want to be a recognizable artist, but I don’t want to be pigeonholed. I need to be able to follow my instincts, my brushes and my life.