Biography

I find that painting is a wonderful way of going deeper into the beauty of the present moment. While painting, time seems to disappear as forms take shape on the canvas. There is a deep sense of peace in the way I experience the creative process.

I assist my students in letting go of self-judgment, and mental distraction while painting. If a student is thinking about the finished painting he or she may miss the simple yet extraordinary brushstroke being applied right now. That is where the real action is. The finished painting then becomes a record, a history, and physical evidence of the creative process in action through the student.

I hope it is evident to anyone looking at my artwork that I have a profound respect for nature, particularly as it is revealed in various qualities of light. Painting light in its various expressions has been a passion of mine from the beginning. My approach is basically inspired by curiosity. As a young boy of ten the first painting that moved me was a reproduction of a Van Gogh painting I saw in a frame shop window. My first thought was ‘That is so beautiful!’ My second thought was ‘How can I do that?’ A good artist is inherently curious, I think. You’re hungry to learn, grow, and discover.

I primarily work in my studio, though I spend many hours in nature taking photos. There isn’t any aspect of paintings that I’m not interested in. All styles and techniques are interesting to me, and I explore many of them, incorporating them when I can into my painting. Therefore my personal painting method is a combination of many techniques.

But my teaching method is very simple. I start by teaching the Direct Painting Method used by Monet and others. It produces stunning results without using any mediums or complex formulas. More than one student of mine has said they would have started painting much sooner in life had they only known it was so easy!

I had my first one person show in the lobby of a bank show at age 15. Then later, after art school, I tried to make it as an artist but ‘reality’ soon set in, so I worked during the day and painted at night. Eventually I worked in the advertising field for many years and learned many of the skills that most artists lack, such as marketing, public relations, and branding. But in 2002 I left that and I returned to painting full time. In 2004 I opened Patrick Howe Gallery in Seattle, where I show my art, hold classes, and paint.

Biography Summary

2014 - Author of “The Awakening Artist”, which was nominated in 2014 for the Robert Motherwell Book Award for outstanding and original thinking on the topic of Modernism in Art
2004 - 2014 - Owner of Patrick Howe Gallery, in Seattle
1980- 2000  - Award winning art director for Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard,  Safeco, Eddie Bauer, REI, and Boeing
1976-1980 - Performed in-services and art shows for the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities
1979 - One person show: Loveland Art Museum, Colorado
1975-76 - Group shows: Portland Art Museum
1975-76 - Group shows: Portland Art Museum
1975 - Head Preparator, Portland Art Museum
1974 - Graduated from Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR, with a BFA

I been a resident of Seattle since 1981

Resume details

2010-2012
— Ongoing Showing at Patrick Howe Gallery
— Ongoing Oil Painting Classes
— Commissions

2009
— Ongoing showing at Patrick Howe Gallery
— Gave Student tour of Seattle Art Museum Andrew Wyeth exhibition
— Ongoing showing at Le Fournil Bakery
— Artwork Selected to represent the Seattle Senior Service Center
— Bellevue Arts Museum Arts Fair
— One man show at Artists & Craftsman Supply, Seattle
— Summer Student Art Show at Patrick Howe Gallery
— Wildlife Display, for Waterfront Landing, Kirkland, WA
— Established the Carrot Revolution Art Company
— Offered continual Art classes and workshops

2009 Art Donations
– Landmine Relief Auction, Seattle, WA
– Senior Service Center, Seattle, WA
– Bellevue Arts Museum Auction, Bellevue, WA

2008
– Demos and workshops at Daniel Smith Artist Materials
– Signed with Grand Image, a world-wide art publishing company
– Juried into Bellevue Arts Museum Arts & Crafts Fair, Bellevue, WA
– Appeared on the Painting and Drawing Channel, England
– Commercial illustration project of the wildlife of Lake Washington
– One man show at Patrick Howe Gallery

2008 Art Donations
– Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle, WA
– Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA
– Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
– Overlake Hospital, Bellevue, WA
– Seattle Yacht Club Foundation
Bellevue Arts Museum

2007
– Appeared on “The Painting and Drawing Channel” Sky Digital Channel 16
– Article about my artwork published in "American Artist"
– One man show, Patrick Howe Gallery. Seattle, WA
– Guest presenter at Northwest Watercolor Society, Kirkland, WA
– Joint Valentine event at Patrick Howe Gallery with Seattle Works
– Group show, Rebecca V Gallery. Tacoma, WA
– In 2007 I painted 71 paintings in addition to 17 commissions

’07 Art Donations
– PONCHO
– The Hamlin School, Seattle, WA
– Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
– Overlake Hospital, Bellevue, WA
– Seattle Works, Seattle,
– Renaissance Club, Columbus, MO

Other Donations
–  Artist Trust, Seattle, WA (Member since 2007)
– Creative Capital Foundation
– Gage Academy of Art, Seattle
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2006
– One man show, Patrick Howe Gallery, Seattle, WA
– Juried into Bellevue Arts Fairs, Bellevue, WA
– Nationwide release of “Dramatic Light” my instructional painting book
– Featured artist in "North Light Book Club" magazine, Spring '06 issue
– Article written about my work in "The Artist's Magazine
– In 2006 I painted 163 paintings

’06 Art Donations
– Overlake Hospital, Bellevue, WA
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2005
– Group show, Rhodes  Stringfellow, Cannon Beach, OR.
– Painting technique video for Teaching Art Film Studio, London, England
– Named Director of the Eastlake Community Arts Council, Seattle, WA
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2004
– Opened the Patrick Howe Gallery, Seattle, WA
– One man Show, Rhodes Stringfellow Fine Art, Cannon Beach, Oregon
– Guest Exhibitor, Bellevue Arts & Crafts Fair, Bellevue, Washington
– Contracted with F+W Publishers, Cincinnati, Ohio, to write a book about my painting
– Commissioned to paint five paintings for the “Cinnabar Suite”. (Private collector).
– A featured artist in “American Collector” (Alcove Books)
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2003
– Winner “Best New Artist” award from the Bellevue Art Museum Fair, Bellevue, WA
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History
At 15, I had my first one man show in 1966 in the lobby of Oregon Savings Bank, in Portland, OR. In 1974 I graduated from the Museum Art School, in Portland, and went on to to show my artwork throughout the region.  At the same time I was employed at the Portland Art Museum as Head Preparator, which involved installing exhibitions in over 20 galleries, and gave me an intimate knowledge of many of the worlds most famous works of art. In 1975 I completed an art project for the Oregon Arts Commission. In 1976 I moved to Colorado and continued painting. In 1980 I was selected by the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities (CCAH) to conduct workshops and classes throughout the State. I was also selected to be a member of the CCAH Chautauqua Tour which included 40 artists of every discipline (musicians from the Denver Symphony Orchestra, actors from the Denver Theatre, dancers from the Denver Opera) and I was the only visual artist that year to be chosen out of thousands of visual artist applicants. I also lectured on the topic of art at Colorado State University. I have exhibited my work in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and California, including a group shows at the Denver Art Museum, the Portland art Museum, and a one man show at Loveland Art Museum, in Colorado. I was also an award winning graphic designer, and produced branding, logos, calligraphy, and illustrations for Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Nintendo, Weyerhaeuser, Boeing, Eddie Bauer, REI, and Princess Tours. In 2004 I opened Patrick Howe Gallery, in Seattle, where I show my artwork today.