What the ?????

Our silly cat, Lupo and a cam flash reflection in his eyes.

lovely French piece for Lute and voice by Asteria

To the Well

Here is a one of the stills from the film I'm working on. I posted some other images awhile  back searching for a look and I decided on a more painterly look seeing that the subject matter called for it. This will be a work in progress for some time to come.  The art of painting is so full of rich possibilities; it reminds me of composing music. Endless rhythms, endless tonalities, one can get lost in it.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

On this great feast day of the Church I had post something with Our Blessed Mother as the subject matter.  Here is a painting I did for a small film I am working on when I have time. Our Lady, here, is deep union with God in prayer the night before the Annunciation.

Film image..

I am working on a short film - just images and music. I wrote the music a few years ago with a particular event in mind but I have gone in a little different direction.  Here is an image from it:

It may stay in rough pencil form with tone like the above or a I may do a more painterly style like this:

It is a lot of work either way.... and after doing this kind of work all day long at my job it is hard to keep up enthusiasm and creativity at night on my own project.

Spanish Breeze

 Here is a work for guitar that I did some time ago with a Spanish influence.  It is called 'Spanish Breeze"....scroll to the bottom of the page to see the file and click on it:

https://sites.google.com/site/howley3/home

Carlos Nunez

You mut hear this 'Galician' (Spanish) piper:

Happy Feast of St. Francis

October Image

October is associated with Our Lady mainly because of the feast of The Holy Rosary on Oct 7th.  It was also in October of 1917 that She appeared to the three shepherd children of Fatima in the rural countryside. I thought I would post this older painting as I don't have anything on hand today, the 1st of October to post.

Jelly this time

This year I didn't pick many of our wild grapes. There were a lot of them. I did manage to gather a bushel for our neighbors a few weeks ago and this past labor day weekend some for Linnea and I. This time I made Jelly and not for canning.  It's easier and you can freeze what you don't use right away (good for a year) or refrigerate – good for about three weeks. Hopefully this means more Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches in my lunch.

From this

To this. 

Probably 3 hours work total - the worst part is pressing the darn things.

The Assumption continued

Third sitting....a complete change of color and tone.  The figure now comes to the forefront.

I think I will call it a work. Artwork ©2012 John R. Howley.

Feast of the Assumption part 2

I took up my brush again, though I said I wouldn't after yesterday's posting.  Here is the painting with an hour more work to it.

The feast of the Assumption is at hand....

In a few days, we arrive at the Great Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I had no work to post in honor of this Queen, This wonder of God, This tower of Ivory.
So, I started to paint tonight thinking I might be able to add my voice. However, When I consider the great paintings of the past on this subject, done by such masters of the art form, I had to cease at the point shown in the image. Do I continue and perhaps pay poor tribute to such a sublime mystery? Perhaps I think to much, but with such a subject at hand, one must.

Oh, if only I had studied true art at a young age a hadn't fiddled around drawing silly pictures.

St. Francis Searching

Thinking on the early days of St. Francis during his conversion, and how he saw the world as naught but a fools paradise, I began this work. It is a piece still in progress and I am curious to see where it will go.

Regarding the story behind this. When Francis Bernadone was still in the wold, yet seeking God to show him what he was called to do, he often spent time praying in caves in the hillside above Assisi. He would take a trusted companion with him.  His pleadings and deep union with God in those dark recesses had a visible stamp on his being; he no longer was the fair looking and fun loving youth of his former days. His transformation at this stage required a full and utter letting go of his former ambitions to be ready for the call which would in due time come most miraculously.  This painting attempts to depict Francis Bernadone at that time.  Artwork ©2012 John R. Howley

Saint Clare of Assisi - Aug 11

My nephew Nathan and his wife 'Giusy' (Giuseppina)will have their marriage blessed by the Church on Aug.11, the feast of St. Clare of Assisi. It will take place in Italy where they are living now.  I've wanted to do a painting of St. Clare for some time and so here is the result. Artwork ©2012 John R. Howley.

Fairy drinking at a pond

Here is a new work of mine. It is of a Fairy taking a drink from a pond deep in the woods and away from the eyes of man. This gentle creature will move on shortly and join her clan as they move south for the winter. Artwork ©2012 John R. Howley.

The Boy Who Wasn't There.

One of the pages from a sketchbook back in 2002. A story that never materialized - about a boy who returns to the home of his childhood after years of being away. The Old house is abandoned and boarded up. Something draws his attention to the rear of the house. He looks into the yard and sees

a young girl standing before a gravestone. It is his childhood sweetheart.  He calls her but she doesn't hear. He goes over to her. She has tears in her eyes. He watches her awhile. She turns and walks right past him. He smiles at her and calls her name with no effect.  He looks at the gravestone to see who is buried there. His name is on it.

Court Lutenist

I painted this thinking about the Baroque era and how the arts were promoted by the courts of the time.One had to be a very fine artist to get a court appointment.

Story concept

I am always interested in the image and what story it can tell. The above image was a desire to do something with a graphic look, using a minimal palette to create a moment.  These exercises are fun, and being a story artist, I sometimes think that one could write a compelling story starting with an image. I suppose it is like a writer who could well write a story starting with a compelling sentence.

Recent painting

A recent painting entitled 'Woman at Prayer '.  I have always liked the stark look of the Spanish Baroque paintings of Francisco Zurbaran. Many of his works reflect the new Counter Reformation ideals of the Catholic arts to portray the sacred with the importance on the figure in the forefront.  His wonderful paintings of St. Francis of Assisi certainly show this mindset. All fluff and unnecessary background imagery is to be discarded if it does not support the figurative subject.  The paintings were to inspire devotion to the mysteries of the Sacred with little mind to the earthly environment which passes so quickly.

Feast of St. Paul the Apostle

Oldest know image of St. Paul the Apostle unearthed in Roman Catacombs. The Fresco is dated from the 4th Century. More here.

lyrical sketches

Solemnity of Mary

I had to post something in honor of the Great Mother of God on this, her feast day so I re-posted this painting I did of her: THE MORNING STAR