Howard Friedland

(artwork images coming soon)

Artist Statement
"The challenge for me is always to see the world with fresh eyes and respond spontaneously to the beauty before me. It's possible to lose the impact of my initial vision out of doors due to the continually changing light. For this reason I strive to capture as quickly and accurately as possible the visual sensations that I have of the subject. I study the color relationships and try to note them as best as I can. Back at my studio I use these "on the spot" studies for larger paintings. I also take some photos for addition information, however I'm careful not to copy the photograph (too much information could dilute my first impression). Therefore, I also have to rely on my memory to recall the mood that I wanted to express."

"Some painters prefer to render a picture tightly to a literal level of finish. However I prefer to paint only enough for the viewer to get a clear vision of what the subject is and suggest the rest. When the painting is viewed close up you can see the many colorful brush strokes, as you step further away the brush strokes disappear and your eye pulls the whole painting together. That is what the magic of painting is about for me. This allows the viewer to use their own imagination and participate in the painting."

Background
Howard Friedland was born in Bronx New York. Lived in Miami Florida, Albuquerque and Taos New Mexico and now resides in Bozeman Montana with his wife artist Susan Blackwood. He studied fine art and commercial art at New York's High School of Music and Art. He went to college at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science in the department of Art and Architecture in New York's Greenwich Village. Howard has studied painting with Ned Jacob, Michael J. Lynch, Mark Daley, Laura Robb, William Schultz, Robert Kuester, Charles Reed ,Carolyn Anderson, Mitch Billis, Scott Christensen and most recently with Matt Smith.
Oil Painters of America inducted Howard as a Signature Member into their organization in 2003. He was featured in the July 1989 issue of American Artist Magazine. He and his wife Susan have been featured in the Master Painters of the World section of the International Artists Magazine. His work has been selected to be shown in his own exhibition room #120 at the C. M. Russell Auction and Exhibition, held in Great Falls, Montana . He has painted, taught and exhibited extensively in New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Arizona, Florida, Mexico, France, Italy, England, Spain and Portugal. His work has won numerous awards and is in many private and corporate collections.