PhilipHowe.com
Title
Howe, Philip
Description
I have been painting and Illustrating for quite a while now and still enjoy putting my thoughts and ideas on canvas. I have tried to keep my fine art completely separate from my commercial illustration for a few reasons. The primary one is that many 'gallery artists' begin to paint specifically for their survival and dependance on gallery sales. This, of course, influences what they paint. My commercial work has always paid the bills so, with the free time I have left, I paint what I want and those are images that I see in my head and that mean something specific to me. Its what I feel art is supposed to be, at least for me. Every artist's work means as much to each individual and if we lived in a perfect world where every artist could always paint how and what they wanted and be supported by society with open arms and open pocket books, then, I suppose, we would see more galleries showing more content and less pure technique or obvious trendy work painted to sell. I feel very lucky to be able to create and for the time I get to paint and grow technically and aesthetically.
The 2nd reason I feel its important to separate the commercial work from the fine art is that commercial work, by its very definition, is contracted for the end result of the clients approval and needs, not mine. I find pleasure in solving problems and coming up with design solutions, but illustration certainly is not art and probably never has been. Even at its height, when a few great illustrators had the green light to create what they wanted for magazine covers they were still doing the work primarily to get paid and for the exposure, and perhaps for the love of it. A study of any early journals of the successful illustrators of the past will clearly show the motivation. Today's market has changed dramatically in the last 20 years, going into a real technical slump with a natural push toward heavy concept with less technique, moving into digital and now circling back to higher quality work thats well crafted. I am excited to see what may come on the horizon and the new talent that is beginning to understand how quality imagery can still move people and influence clients and the public. Museums and galleries clearly show attendance for major shows of quality realism far exceed any other genre of contemporary or past work- the public simply enjoys good work, both in content and technique.
I am lucky to have always done some form of realism, although I like many abstract and expressionistic looks, its primarily through realism that I can best express my thoughts and others can interpret the work.
Contact
- Phillip Howe Studio
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- Snohomish Washington
- United States 98296
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- (425) 385-8426
