SUE HOWARD
“Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with your wherever you man go."
- Joshua 1:9
Visual artist based in Nova Scotia, Sue Howard, has been masterfully telling stories through the mediums of words and paint for as long as her children could lend an ear. Influenced by her extensive international travels and her life in the East, she crafts unique narratives that revolve around the interpretation and visual reflection of the passage of time.
< Exile IX, Odyssey by Sue Howard
Central to Howard's artistic philosophy is the recognition that memory serves as an imperfect guardian of our lives, constantly shifting shape under the influences and impacts of current circumstances. Just as memory is subjective, Howard believes that stories and images are similarly interpreted by each individual who engages with them.
Her fascination with the portrayal of time and memory through visual arts is vividly reflected in her artistic approach. Howard employs multiple images within each piece, allowing each moment to shine before time and paint gradually erase them, leaving behind the faintest hint of what lies beneath.
Howard is not only an artist but also an ardent lover of teaching and storytelling. She draws inspiration from her own life and experiences, incorporating all these elements into her mixed media pieces, which she playfully refers to as painted "book covers." When viewers explore a piece from Sue's "library," they can read the final page of the story, but the rest is left to their imagination. Each artwork tells its own unique narrative, with mere hints revealed through scratched-back "windows" into the past.
Psalm 39 by Sue Howard
Memory, like time, is a fickle mistress, resistant to revealing her secrets even as we stand and stare. Howard's art beckons viewers to contemplate the elusive nature of memory, inviting them on a journey where the past intertwines with the present and the visual narratives speak to the depths of their own personal interpretations.