Total Immersion
Colleen Howe:Total Immersion
Crossing Over from Pastel to Oil
by Curt Hawkins
"I'm going back to using oils. Totally immersing myself. It is how I've always approached my art. I don't know any other way to go about it," says Colleen Howe, a Salt Lake City artist best-known for her work in pastel "I am going on a journey. I'm not giving up on pastels. I'm evolving, hopefully in the right direction. Immersing myself in oil painting is something I have to do." Howe's immersion in oil comes at a time when she is becoming recognized nationally as a pastel artist. A gallery owner in Laguna Beach mentioned Howe to me in October, 2007. "She is terrific. I think that her pastels are in a league with Albert Handel and a few others. And she's from Utah, Dude." When I tell Colleen about the gallery owner's comment she is honestly pleased and almost blushes.
