The Art of Frank Howell [Hardcover]

Michael French (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2008

FRANK HOWELL’S PAINTINGS dazzle the viewer with their luminous colors and haunting images. A unique chronicler of the native people and natural beauty of the Southwest, Howell pulls us into a spiritually charged world resonant with multiple meanings. Whether he’s painting a pair of hands, a bird in flight, or the face of an old woman, Howell can look upon the familiar and see something no one else sees. His sense of wonder and his passion make his often solitary figures enormously expressive; they inhabit a physically spare but spiritually rich universe that Howell reveals through his extraordinary artistry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Michael French’s accompanying biographical text is informative, delivering insight into Howell’s life and how it shaped him into a celebrated painter. But the real treasure here is in Howell’s own comments about his paintings.”—Santa Fe New Mexican

From the Publisher

"When one stands before any kind of art, it should tell nothing. It should, however, create the infinity of questions begetting questions. It should be a mirror that is not superficial, in that it reflects the physical self. That reflection is emotional and historical but it is a pathway to insight into a more spiritually significant present."
-- Frank Howell

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers (October 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385322348
• ISBN-13: 978-0385322348
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 0.7 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking renderings of Native American subjects, February 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Frank Howell (Hardcover)

Frank Howell's work will take your breath away. This beautiful edition contains both poetry and a wonderful collection of Howell's sensitive and luminous work. You will find yourself looking at it again and again!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding Art, January 3, 2004

By 

J. Guild (Toronto,Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Frank Howell (Hardcover)

This book opened my eyes toa very different art form.Even after reading the book ,I don't exactly know what to make of it except that I found it interesting and really enjoyable.Obviously, Howell's subjects,techniques and realism are spellbinding.I guess what bothers me about this art is that I do not possess the faith expressed behind the art.Mother Earth,spirituality of ancestors ,circles of life,dream catchers,shamens,animal spirits,etc.,really escape me ;but that does not prevent me from enjoying the art.The imagination that comes through the painting "Fruit from the Light" coupled with the color,lighting and finess in the hair results in a painting that you just want to look at and enjoy for its own beauty.To me it doesn't matter who she is, what is on her mind,what does the painter want us to feel;I think that is to be determined by the viewer.
However,I must say that there is a great amount of mood running through his paintings which I find hard to describe.Haunting,bearing witness,distance,come to mind;but nothing such as happiness, hope,anticipation,peace,anger,etc.The images seem to say "This is me,and that's it ." I am looking forward to seeing more of his work.
So, if you like Indian Art with a strong slant on realism and a little mysticism,you should enjoy this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full-page color images are accompanied by in-depth text reviewing Howell's life and art, January 14, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Frank Howell (Hardcover)

Frank Howell died in 1997, shortly after this book was originally published, but his paintings continue to offer gorgeous images and colors and remains a fine example of Southwest art as a whole. This gathering of Howell's Southwest peoples will prove familiar to many fans of Southwest art: his paintings have long been reproduced and graced many buildings, and so any art library strong in Southwest artistry needs THE ART OF FRANK HOWELL. Full-page color images are accompanied by in-depth text reviewing Howell's life and art.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch