20 Aug Howell-Sickles, Donna
Donna Howell-Sickles
Born 1949 in Gainesville, Texas; lives in St. Joe, Texas
DONNA HOWELL-SICKLES was born Gainesville, Texas, where she was raised on a 900-acre farm. When she was entering junior high school her parents moved the family to New. In 1972, she earned her BFA from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. During her junior year there, she acquired an old postcard, circa 1935, depicting a cowgirl seated atop a horse. The vintage postcard read, “Greetings from a Real Cowgirl from the Ole Southwest.” Attracted by the charm and confidence of the woman in the image, Howell-Sickles began incorporating the Cowgirl figure into her artwork, as well as collecting and researching these old-time cowgirl images. Before long, this cowgirl icon, and all that she could stand for, became the central theme in her contemporary Western settings of mixed-media artwork.
Donna works on paper and canvas, in a mix of charcoal, pastel, and acrylic, most often leaving her under-drawing visible. In the artwork, the cowgirl achieves the status of a heroine, and these images have brought Donna national attention, recognition, accolades, and success. Her work is rich with symbolism and allusions to classical mythology, but the viewer does not need to be familiar with the references to appreciate the female affirmations, and the joy of life apparent in each piece. With an ageless grace and timeless stories, these cowgirl heroines will live on forever in vibrant colors through Donna’s artwork.
Donna’s work is in the collections of several museums, and had been featured in several museums and publications. She was President of American Women Artists from 2000 to 2003, and in 2011 she was voted one of the forty Prominent People in the Western Art World by Southwest Art Magazine.
Notable Awards and Achievements
2007 National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Inductee
Gallery Representation
Ann Korologos Gallery, Aspen, CO
Big Horn Galleries, Cody, Wyoming, and Tubac Arizona
Davis & Blevins Gallery, Saint Jo, Texas
McLarry Fine Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Mountain Trails Gallery, Sedona, Arizona