Posts from the ‘From April’s Perspective…’ Category
From April’s Perspective: The Red Giraffe
While April Howland is in South Africa on safari studying up for her new African series of paintings, we’d like to showcase some of the inspiration behind a few of her already finished African pieces.
I wanted to paint a giraffe. I wondered what it would look like if I painted it red. The End.
What? Did you think I was going to say something deep?
This painting is also currently hanging in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
From April’s Perspective: The White Tiger
Animal people talk a lot about having the right energy when it comes to dogs, but what about other members of the animal kingdom?
One hot July morning, I arose at sunrise because I’d gotten a new camera I was chomping at the bit to use. In Phoenix, the early morning hours are the only time we get a break from summer’s oppressive heat. Well…it’s hot in the early hours of the day too but at least it’s bearable. For us and the animals.
On that particular morning, I was the first in line at the Wildlife World Zoo. It was quiet. The animals were just beginning to awake from their slumber. There were few other people milling through the park. In a way, I almost felt as if I had the animals all to myself.
I went directly to the white tiger exhibit because they have always been a favorite, and there he was, the big daddy of them all, lying right out in the open part of his cage. I think he was waiting for me. The zoo doesn’t get too many visitors in July so maybe he was missing the crowds. I don’t know…but it was quiet. There was no one else around and I frantically began snapping away on my camera, desperately hoping I was getting some good shots. Unconsciously, I began talking to him like I do when I’m taking pictures of someone’s pet. I told him how beautiful he was. I marveled at how large his paws were. I told him I loved the color of his ice, blue eyes. And then he stood up and came right over to the fence. We were literally four feet away from one another! Some have told me that he might have just been hungry but I felt a strange connection with him as I stared at his brilliant, blue eyes through the glass lens of my camera. I talked and took pictures. He posed and listened. For thirty minutes, it was just he and I. Eventually, I put my camera away and just stared. I was calm and at peace. I was respectful of his power. I think he instinctively knew that. There was energy. There was a connection.
When I returned home, I immediately downloaded all of my pictures into my computer so I could get a better feel for the images I had and the next morning, I began to paint the white tiger. The aura of him had inspired it and once inspired, I cannot resist the urge to simply pick up my brush and paint.
Gray Boy Finds a Home: From April’s Perspective
Pam Gaber, April Howland & 'Gray Boy'
One of the most wonderful things about being a full-time artist is that I now have the time to paint whatever inspires me and last May, when I attended the fundraising breakfast for Gabriel’s Angels, a non-profit organization who delivers healing pet therapy to abused, neglected and at-risk children, I was inspired. Gabriel’s Angels was the brain child of Pam Gaber whose Weimaraner, Gabriel inspired her to start the agency. A few years ago, Pam and I had talked about doing a custom pet portrait. I’d even gone so far as to take photos of her rescued Weimaraner, Jack but it never worked out.
Pam’s beloved Gabriel passed away last year and to honor his memory, Pam wrote a book so people could remember how Gabriel’s Angels began. As I sat through the breakfast last May, watching images of Gabriel, the Weimaraner flash across the screen, I began to be filled with an inexplicable desire to paint a Weimaraner.
When I returned home, I sat down at my computer and began to leisurely scroll through my photo archives. I often take and keep photos of random dogs. Photos that I like and think are cute. On that particular day, I found a Weimaraner photo staring back at me and I had a vision of what it would look like if I divided the dog’s face into four 12 x 12 paintings to be hung side by side. I’d never attempted something like this before so I wasn’t sure what the end result would be, but somewhere in the process ‘Gray Boy’ was born. And he was beautiful.
Once I was finished, Pam, of course, saw the painting posted on Facebook. She thought, “Oh, how nice. He’s looking out the window.” She didn’t realize the piece of art was actually four canvases so she didn’t pay it much attention.
In the meantime, I was busy looking for a home for Gray Boy. I’d already planned to have a booth at one of the Phoenix Mercury games and on the morning of the designated game, I was packing up all my information and artwork for the booth when I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to bring Gray Boy with me. Common sense told me it wasn’t the right thing to do. I didn’t really have an easel to display him as effectively as I would have liked…but I still wanted to bring him. I felt it was a good reflection of my work as an artist and I wanted people to see it. Internally, I debated and finally, my husband just said, “Put it in the car and if we can’t use it then it’s no big deal.” So at the last second, Gray Boy was carefully slid into the back of my Toyota Four Runner for the drive over to the arena.
When we arrived at the ballgame, I fiddled around with displaying Gray Boy until I thought he looked suitable and just about the time I thought I finally had him displayed correctly, I had a surprising visitor. One of the other organizations running a booth at the ballgame was none other than Gabriel’s Angels. My friend, Zee who works with them came over to say hello. As soon as she saw Gray Boy, she said, “Pam has to see this. I’m sending her over as soon as she gets here.”
Moments later I had Pam Gaber, herself, standing in front of my booth gazing at Gray Boy staring back at her. As soon as she saw it, she couldn’t take her eyes away from him, like there was something familiar calling to her from within the painting. She called over her husband and the two began to converse in whispers. Finally, Pam said, “I think that’s my Jack,” referring to the rescued Weimaraner she had at home. I was taken aback. I remembered Jack from when I’d taken his picture years ago. I then began to wonder if I had dropped some of those pictures in my photo archives. Whether it was Jack or not, Pam wanted the painting and I promised to bring her the original photo which had inspired Gray Boy along with the piece of art.
A few days later, I showed Pam the original photo and as soon as she saw it, she smiled. It was her Jack and we both knew the circle of Gray Boy’s journey was now complete. I’d been inspired by Pam’s work and the Weimaraner at her side only to somehow manage to paint the new dog who was gradually moving into the hole the old dog had left in Pam’s heart. I guess paintings are just like rescue dogs. Sometimes they inadvertently find themselves in the place they really need to be.
And the best part is that I was already going to donate 20% of the money back to charity anyway. Now Gabriel’s Angels is going to benefit from the purchase of Gray Boy. Like I said, some things just seem to come around full circle.
From April’s Perspective – Practicing What I Preach
Some people have asked me why I talk so much about animal shelters and rescues on my blog and I think it’s important to know that I practice what I preach. When we decided to adopt a dog a few years back, we knew immediately it was going to be a rescue. I just can’t resist those sad eyes staring at you through the kennel door. But we also had some high expectations. We needed a dog that was around two years old. The dog also had to be good with kids, dogs and cats. That’s a tall order for a rescue but we knew better than to accept a dog into our home that was going to be a bad fit for us. That always leads to heartache in the end.
So we contacted Arizona Golden Retriever Connection, they came out to do a home visit and within two weeks, they called us to say they had an owner who had contacted them about taking her dog. At the time, the rescue didn’t have a foster family available but they thought of us because he met our criteria. He wasn’t a purebred Golden Retriever but we didn’t care. The Arizona Golden Retriever Connection arranged a meeting and immediately we knew this dog was special. He was scared but very sweet, and as we spent some time with him, we decided he was our dog. I believe Lobo was meant for our family. The previous owner wept she was so sad to let him go. Or happy to be rid of the responsibility. I couldn’t tell the difference.
On the way out the door, this woman slipped us a letter that had been written by the lady who had rescued Lobo in the first place. She wrote, “When I saw the poor pup at the pound, so depressed, curled up in a cement cage (very skinny), I just couldn’t leave him.” I’m happy she didn’t but somewhere along the line, Lobo had been abused. Whether it had been before he arrived at the pound or if the abuse happened in his previous home, I’ll never know. There’s a three inch scar on the top of his head and he cowers whenever he meets strangers. It took three weeks of my husband scooting around on his belly before Lobo trusted him at home but to be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without Lobo.
He’s now extremely affectionate and his tail is always wagging. He’s taught us so much about love and trust. Animals just do that to people. And they don’t have to have a pedigree or come from the perfect home. I’m not perfect so I don’t expect perfection out of anything that surrounds me. In fact, there’s a beauty in the imperfection. There’s a light of trust in Lobo’s eyes and since he hasn’t always had the easiest life, I think he loves us even more.
Painting Day…From April’s Perspective
Often when I paint, I have my one-eyed Chihuahua, Willy lying on a cushion beside me in my studio. I wonder what he thinks about during these sessions. Does the gentle, rhythmic stroke of my brush on the canvas soothe him? Is the aroma of acrylic like a sweet perfume to his sensitive nose? And does he look at the canvas and wonder why another dog’s face is the one looking back at him? Sometimes I feel guilty. I wouldn’t want him to believe he’s less loved because it isn’t his face being reflected back to him.
During those moments, I’ll step back from the canvas. I’ll take a breath, recognize what’s important, stroke Willy’s side and then get back to work. It may be my hand guiding the brush but its Willy’s relaxed, humble breathing that helps to give my portraits life.
There has always been something inspiring to me about the way an animal can love unconditionally. Every fiber of their being tells you it’s true. It’s the light in their eyes, the way their ears set, the kaleidoscope of colors that reflects off their moist noses. It’s the warmth of their touch next to you, the beating of their hearts. They are in themselves perfection. Every single one of them. My only hope is that I can somehow capture them in a way to represent their truly magnificent selves.
