Kelsey Howard / Photo Credit: Finn Rauen
My love of color has only grown over the past few years, and the bright and playful colors of Kelsey Howard’s paintings will put a smile on your face every time you look at them. Her style, which has been described as being in the fauvism style of art (and I quite agree) features both female portraits. and brilliant colors, any one of which would add lightness and color to a room or gallery wall.
While her first degree was in studio art before she later got her BSN in nursing, she found that she had to choose between the nursing field and art. As an art lover, I’m glad she chose to pursue her art full-time.
In this interview, Kelsey shares her love of color, what a typical day in her artist’s studio looks like, and her words of advice for the next generation of budding artists.
As someone who also loves art and currently works in the medical field, at what point in your career as an RN, did you decide to pursue a career as a full-time artist?
I recall the moment coming up sort of quickly, I suppose. I never imagined I’d be able to take that sort of leap in the first place.
My first degree was in studio art, and then I later got my bachelor’s of science in nursing. My love of painting was revived when I felt like I needed an outlet for my stress after I came home from work as a nurse.
As I continued painting, I began to receive commissions and people became more interested in my work. Later, I created an Instagram page and an eventual Etsy website. There were so many little steps taken along the way. I always thought I would just do art on the side.
However, as time passed, art took on a more prominent place in my life. It was an amazing feeling, but began to feel like I was working two jobs at times. While I struggled with my mental health for many years, it was declining more than I realized. I needed that space to take care of myself and it felt like I needed to choose between art or nursing. I didn’t want to give up art, so I chose to leave nursing for the foreseeable future. I had played with the idea for a while, but once I hit a particular personal low point, it just prompted me to make that final decision. I left about a month and a half later.
Endless Fruit Popsicles
How would you describe your artistic style?
I would describe my style as loose, rich with color, and “flowy.” Some people have compared it to fauvism. I do love using bright colors and trying to create magical color combinations. It’s kind of like doing a puzzle with colors. I don’t want my work to look too tight or constricted. While I’m creating work, my personal goal is to maintain a sense of looseness in my body and my brush strokes. Whenever I feel myself getting too tense, I know I need to take a step back.
Fauvism — a style of painting and an art movement that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century.
What color or colors do you find yourself using most frequently?
I am constantly drawn to pinks, greens, and yellows. Sometimes I have to think outside the box to try to use other colors. Lately, I’ve been trying to incorporate more muddy colors, browns, and grays to mix it up!
Feeling Love
Do you prefer painting still life or portraits?
It honestly depends! Sometimes I am deeply inspired by one more than the other. Floral bouquets frequently inspire my color use on portraits. I think I am more well-known for my portraits, but painting other subjects helps me to think outside the box and challenges me in interesting ways.
Tell me about a typical day in the studio.
A full day in the studio will usually involve some cleanup from the previous day to the start. I like to keep it clean and organized as best as I can, but it is a studio and does often get messy! After some cleanup, I like to maybe light a candle and stretch for 10-15 minutes. It helps me get loose and release tension. After stretching, I will then sketch to help get my mind loosened up! I used to not take so much time to warm up my body and mind, but since I started doing so, it’s brought much more ease and joy into my painting practice.
I love to put on a captivating audiobook or podcast as I dive into a painting. I can usually paint for 1-2 hours before I need to do another stretch break. If I have time, I’ll paint some more, or I will do other tasks such as photographing work or packaging an order. I try to avoid staying in the studio too late because rest and self-care are so important! Although, there are days when I can only get into the studio for a couple of hours late in the day.
Lady 2
You created an Italian series following your trip last year. Out of all the places you visited on your trip, was there a particular place that inspired you the most?
I loved Italy! The countryside looked like a dreamscape. Most of the inspiration from the series was inspired by Tuscany. The rolling green hills, vineyards, ancient villages, and beautiful wildflowers were unbelievably gorgeous.
Out of all the pieces you’ve created over the years, do you have a personal favorite?
Gosh, that is a tough question! I think my favorite pieces are often paintings where I felt joy and ease in creating them. I also love when I create a piece that challenges me and the outcome surprises me in a good way! I learn a lot from those kinds of pieces. I’ve created a few floral pieces recently that I truly love (a magnolia painting- “Endless Fruit Popsicles” and a still life inspired by flowers from my garden- “Zinnias and Lantana.”) I also really love a portrait called “Flower Shower” that is still available on my website. I love her expression and the combination of colors including the yellow background, blue in her eyelid, and red lips.
You had a pop-up at both locations of The Paris Market. What was the best part of the experience?
I think the best part was that they made me just feel very special! I already loved their store and visited Savannah before the pop-up. It was surreal to have a pop-up in one of my favorite stores in one of my favorite cities. I was also very lucky to have a couple of friends who were willing to come down to Savannah with me and help out! It was very sweet.
Zinnias and Lantana
What are you working on right now?
Right now I am working on developing better studio habits including the stretching and sketching that I mentioned before. As for painting, I have a lot of ideas swirling around and am just going with them! Most of my recent paintings are for two future collections, one of ladies inspired by classical sculptures and the other of my favorite flowers. I also feel the need to paint some fish from an aquarium that I visited while in Florida, so maybe there will be a sea-inspired collection coming soon too!
What words of advice do you have for aspiring artists?
There is so much I could say, but I would emphasize how important it is to take care of yourself! Also, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. There are so many ways to be an artist. Just focus on creating work that is true to you. Never stop learning and use all the resources you can. No matter what highs and lows you encounter, keep going, and don’t give up on yourself.
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