Happiness (2011) Painting by M Elisabeth Howell

M. Elisabeth (Lisa) Howell has been painting since 1984. Originally working primarily in watercolor, she worked in oil briefly before embracing the acrylic medium passionately. An abstractionist for much of the past two decades, her work is characterized by dramatic use of color, texture, and mixed media. Much of her later work fearlessly incorporates less 'serious' pigments and often features glow in the dark, metallic, and crushed rock, glass, and gemstones.

Lisa considers the Abstract Expressionist movement an important influence on her work. Her own work is inspired by movement and emotional experience, often planned and created while listening to specifically created music playlists intended to guide and influence the movement underlying the piece itself.

During 1984-1985 Lisa painted in Carmel California, where she got her start studying informally with several local artists. She painted in watercolor at this time and a very limited number of these early watercolors are available for sale.

1985-1987 Lisa lived in Augsburg, Germany. Her work in this period were in watercolor and oil.

1987-1989 Lisa resided in Killeen, Texas, near Ft Hood. Watercolor and oil were her preferred media at this time.

1989-1992 Lisa resided in Augsburg, Germany, but while on active duty in the Army was deployed to the Desert Shield/Desert Storm. A very small number of war themed watercolors and sketches exist from this period. After the war she returned to Augsburg and her unit was returned from Germany to the US (Ft Stewart, Georgia). Although she had begun to paint in acrylic more seriously, her primary mediums were still watercolor and oil.

1992-1995 Lisa resided in various similar locations in the California area around Yosemite (Coarsegold, Mariposa, and Triangle). During this period her last oil painting "Evening Storm in Coarsegold" was started (1992) and completed (late in 1995) and she discontinued the use of oil entirely. Her change to acrylic as the medium she favors occurred in 1992, with "The Welder", her first exploration of the use of non-traditional pigments using subtle 'interference pigments' in a very prominent way.

From 1995-late 1998 Lisa resided in the Fresno California area,residing in Fresno's notorious Tower District in 1996.

In 1998, Lisa moved to Portland, Oregon. She painted from her residence in South East Portland's Reed College neighborhood until 2010, and this decade+ period was heavily influenced by her environment and relationships, and is significant for prolonged periods without significant creative work. The various quite distinct creative periods during this time show her varied style and her internal struggles with her personal life, including the deaths of her father and grandfather.

2010 started a period of profound change and growth, and signaled the start of a new period of intense creativity, which Lisa looks forward to exploring.

• Nationality: UNITED STATES
• Date of birth : 1963
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary American Artists