Interview by Jimon

1-How would you describe Louise Howard? An evolutionary work in progress that includes characteristics of impatience, empathy and occasional frustration with a penchant for films by Noah Baumbach and a strong leaning toward anything containing coconuts.

2-Where do you currently reside and work? I live and work in London from my home studio.

3-What inspired you to become an artist? The intention to become an artist never came as a revolutionary thought. It was always an innate inclination for me that I never thought to deviate from.

4-Do you remember the first piece of art that captured your imagination?  It would have been something by Lucian Freud; my eternal hero.

5-When did you start painting, and what lead you to start? I started painting when I was a child and got into oil paints after my mother introduced me to them when I was about 16. I’ve always been drawn to painting – for me, the concept of art is so intrinsically linked to paintbrush on canvas.

6-Did you study art or is it self-taught? I went to art college which is the equivalent of university for about three months but felt disillusioned and uninspired by the projects we were given so decided to drop out and go it alone. The journey since then has been a continual learning curve.

7-Is there any reality behind the characters in your paintings or are they purely fantasy? I always take elements of faces and bodies I find interesting and adapt them to work for the final piece I want to produce.

8-Tell us something about the art world that you want to see changed? It never occurred to me when I started on my artistic journey nearly two decades ago that there would be a disparity between how men and women artists were received. I simply painted as a person hoping to produce something of worth. But the older I get, the more I have perceived the difference in an artist’s reception based on their gender. It seems harder for women to make their voices heard in the art world. So this is potentially something that needs to change. Although it’s not my agenda to enforce this change – I still continue to paint for my audience. If anyone happened to question the strength and quality of my work on the basis of my gender, I would advise them to look at someone else’s art.

9-How do you define success? Everyone has their own measure of success. It remains a personal philosophy and mantra that I believe should be cherished and nurtured in order that it is attained.

10-Where do you go for inspiration? I go to my older works for inspiration. I find that looking at contemporary artists can sometimes be distracting and pull me away from what I am searching for. It can also be a practice that throws me off my own path. I find that looking back at my work through the years is the inspiration I need to keep pushing myself forward.

11-Whose work do you admire? Lucian Freud. Every time.

12-Future is _________.  On the way

13-Quote to live by: Like attracts like. I’ve found it to be quite accurate over the years.

14-You have a million dollars to spend on art, what would you buy? I would try to acquire any work by Lucian Freud. Probably just a small sketch at his prices.

15-How would someone find you on social media? Instagram @louisehowardart

16-Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:

Art= constant

Food= yum

Sports= no thanks

Politics= always

Sex=

Luxury= pillows

Poor= sucks

Rich= yep

God= tooth fairy

Religion= no

Picasso= good

Afterlife= unlikely