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FASO Collector Recommends: Ellen Howard
Biography
Ellen Howard is an impressionist painter drawn to moments of quiet clarity-those brief, luminous pauses when light, land, and emotion align. Her work is rooted in sustained observation and presence, shaped by the belief that painting is not simply about what we see, but about how deeply-and honestly-we are willing to notice.
Whether painting en plein air or in the studio, Ellen seeks the emotional resonance of place: the hush of early morning, the steadiness of a solitary tree, the way a river bends and continues on its course. These moments are not grand declarations, but quiet affirmations. Her paintings reflect a reverence for stillness in a fractured world, offering landscapes as places of reflection, resilience, and calm rather than escape.
Working primarily in oils and gouache, Ellen embraces impermanence-changing light, shifting weather, fleeting impressions-as an essential and generative part of the creative process. Uncertainty becomes an invitation rather than an obstacle, allowing intuition, restraint, and trust to guide each painting as it unfolds. The work emerges as a response to time and lived experience, not as a fixed or predetermined outcome.
Through workshops, demonstrations, and her long-running newsletter series The Art of…, Ellen reflects on painting as both a disciplined practice and a way of being in the world. Her writing and teaching explore themes of stillness, courage, reflection, and the quiet strength required to stand attentively-and truthfully-in one’s own experience.
Now based in Boise, Idaho, Ellen finds renewed inspiration in the expansive skies, winding rivers, and open farmlands of the Treasure Valley. This landscape-both intimate and vast-continues to shape her work, offering space to listen, to breathe, and to paint with intention.
At the heart of Ellen’s work is an invitation: to slow down not for nostalgia, but for clarity-to see more fully, to feel more deeply, and to recognize the quiet beauty that persists, often unnoticed, in the world around us.
Passion
Ellen’s passion for painting is rooted in a lifelong attentiveness to change-light that shifts, weather that moves through, moments that cannot be held. An avid explorer and traveler, she is drawn to the transitory qualities of the natural world, where no experience is ever repeated, and presence becomes essential.
Painting is not simply an act of observation, but a way of aligning with life’s rhythms. Working outdoors, immersed in the elements, Ellen experiences painting as a practice of trust-responding rather than controlling, listening rather than imposing. The uncertainty of changing skies and fleeting light mirrors the larger unfolding of life itself.
Her landscapes are reflections of this lived dialogue with nature. Through them, Ellen explores themes of faith, resilience, and gratitude-believing that meaning reveals itself not through certainty, but through attention and openness. Each painting becomes an affirmation of presence, a reminder that beauty and clarity often arrive quietly, and only for a moment.
“My art is centered around living a faithful life and trusting in the unfolding of the great tapestry of life.“
Second Mountain
After a successful career in finance, Ellen returned to her lifelong passion for art-what she describes as her second mountain. Her journey back began at the Peninsula Museum of Art, where she rediscovered not only the act of painting, but the power of art to connect people and build community.
For more than 15 years, Ellen has cultivated a professional career as a fine artist, developing a distinctive voice rooted in observation, atmosphere, and intuition. This return was not a departure from her earlier path, but a deepening-bringing clarity, purpose, and a renewed commitment to creative service.
Process
Ellen’s process begins outdoors, where she paints en plein air and responds directly to shifting light, water, and atmosphere. She often hikes into foothills, along winding rivers, or across open farmland to discover scenes that quietly reveal themselves through time and attention. Immersed in nature, she absorbs the shimmer of reflections, the glow of evening skies, and the stillness of the land. These field studies capture not only what she sees, but how the moment feels-records of presence infused with memory and emotion.
Back in the studio, these impressions evolve into larger works layered with depth and intuition. Guided by both observation and feeling, Ellen balances structure with freedom, allowing each painting to unfold organically. The result is a body of work that honors the landscape while inviting viewers into a shared moment of stillness, discovery, and quiet clarity.
Influences
Ellen’s love of art traces back to her grandfather, an illustrator and airline purser in the 1930s, whose drawings, stories, and adventurous spirit shaped her early sense of curiosity and creative exploration. His life of travel and making planted the foundation for Ellen’s own artistic journey and continues to inform her sense of wonder and discovery.
Her work is informed by both historical and contemporary painters. The luminous atmosphere and sensitivity to fleeting light found in Claude Monet have long guided her understanding of how momentary impressions can be captured on canvas. She is also influenced by Sergei Bongart, whose bold brushwork and expressive use of color resonate with her desire to paint with energy and emotional depth.
Ellen’s practice is further shaped by early California painters such as E. Charlton Fortune, Edgar Payne, and William Frederick Ritschel. Their work-celebrating light, movement, and the enduring presence of the landscape-reinforces her belief in painting as both a personal expression and an ongoing dialogue with the natural world.
Service to Others
Beyond her studio practice, Ellen is deeply committed to service within the arts. Through teaching, writing, curating, and leadership, she has found a meaningful balance between creative work and community engagement.
For eleven years, Ellen has served the California Art Club, first as Co-Chapter Chair of the San Francisco Chapter and currently as Vice President. In these roles, she has helped foster membership, education, and professional opportunities for artists nationwide. This commitment reflects her belief that the arts thrive through shared knowledge, generosity, and collective support.
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Isn't it wonderful that such diverse works of art can attract the same viewer?? Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed seeing the looseness of Nancy Tankersley's work and thought that Ellen Howard's biography was very interesting. Thanks for sharing them both.