365 Series
In the Crawford Room on the first floor of Victorian Gothic The John Rylands Library, displayed in large glass bookcases are a selection of Ghislaine Howard’s “365 Series”, daily meditations in paint. “I was in London on the 7 July 2005 and like so many others I was caught up in the chaos and anxiety of that day. When I returned to my studio I felt compelled to work through the experience in paint. Reading about the day in my daily paper I was struck by photographs in which the familiar streets of London had become the backdrop to horror.
At that time I made a number of small paintings in response to these images and, almost without realizing it, I had begun what would become a daily practice. Each day I choose one image (usually from the Guardian) that strikes a particular chord with me and make a small painting from it. Each panel is 6 x 8 inches. I try to paint them as simply and as lovingly as I can.
When I started making the series I intended to continue each day for a year – now I see no reason to stop.”
Ghislaine Howard was named as a Woman of The Year in 2008 for her contribution to art and society. A painter of powerful and expressive means, her works deal with the human condition charting and interpreting our shared human experience. She has worked on commissioned projects with various diverse communities including theatres, prisons, the BBC, Women’s Refuges and cathedrals as well as with major organisations such as Amnesty International. She is represented in many public and private collections including the Royal Collection. Ghislaine lives in Glossop with her husband, art historian and writer Michael Howard.
Click here to read the reflection and praxis for this art work.
Images courtesy of the artist.