Canadian Wilderness: Art by Catherine Howard


An acrylic painting of a fox in the snowFox "Sionnach", acrylic on cradled board

Orangeville, Ontario-based artist Catherine Howard creates acrylic paintings of animals and Canadian wilderness. The artist’s style emphasizes texture and fine detail – thin layers of paint create a look that one might mistake for pastel or pencil crayon.


An acrylic painting of a moon over a lighthouseMoon Rise Love Song, acrylic on canvas

I appreciate the way Catherine’s textural style is used in rendering furry animals and forest creatures. In paintings of foxes, racoons, or birds, there’s a sense that each individual hair or feather has been carefully created with a tiny brush. I also really enjoy the way Catherine’s style translates into landscapes – these works have the atmosphere of classical illustration, and some of them would be well-suited as book covers.


A screen capture of Catherine Howard's painting websiteCatherine's portfolio website, www.artofcatherinehoward.com

 

Each scene is rendered in even detail, and the inclusion of architectural structures and occasional human figures lends a narrative sense to the works, as if they represent moments in a greater story. Many of the landscapes are specifically winter or autumnal, adding to a sense of solemn intrigue.  


A painting of a child and a dog on a wooded pathA Walk in the Woods, acrylic on cradled board

Written by: Dallas Jeffs
Explore more artworks

Become a featured artist

You can't be featured if you don't submit!
40,000 people are waiting to discover your artwork today.