(970) 927-9668
Donna Howell-Sickles has been part of the Texas ranching culture since she was born. Raised on a 900-acre farm, Howell-Sickles knew the true strength and joy of women in the ranching world, and yet, they were often depicted on the fringe of the culture: waiting for or watching the men come and go, gloriously, on horseback. Of course, Donna Howell-Sickles had a different experience of these empowered women.
After discovering her passion for her trade in her early 20s, Howell-Sickles never turned back. Before long, joyous, exuberant, capable western women became the central theme in her mixed-media artwork, accented, of course, with symbolism and metaphor, wildlife and memory. Below, enjoy this selection of new arrivals from Donna along with stories from the artist about each piece.
Frequently, my work shows the Cowgirl as the center of her world surrounded by companions, coworkers and the animals that defined the spirit of the West. Here, she has gathered the dogs, and the horses have gathered themselves behind them, as if she were about to tell them an old story they all know.
I wanted to feel the horses surrounding her, interacting, giving and accepting care in that dusty, early morning corral.
The torch is the idea of enlightenment and warmth, the nurturing inside community. I can think of many times people have symbolically handed me a torch when I’m struggling with something…This is what you do among friends, community and mentors. I think it’s an essential part of who we are as humans to share the light we’re given with someone else—the passing on of what you know and love. I think it’s a good pairing with the symbol of the torch—the North Star is a guiding and consistent light.
Every summer down in Texas, we have Whitetail fawns on the ranch and around the lake where I walk, reminding me of nature’s willingness to say something beautiful and fragile and true again and again. I am so inspired by their presence: such a beautiful delicate expression of the circle of life and resilience. I feel called to celebrate and capture their newness with a few drawings and paintings. In many cultures, deer antlers were used as a symbol of that circle of life and the fawn is very much a part of that circle.
This fox painting was an attempt to capture the feeling of those weathered fences in many parts of the West that are such a part of the landscape and show how small man’s touch has been. This fox sat just a minute with a sense of appreciation for my admiration before he was off to his own business. The wildlife moves through that landscape and those structures with such ease, grace and speed, leaving us with a brief glimpse, but a timeless feeling.
I’ve spent a lot of time around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a place characterized by a town square featuring gates of antlers. Antlers are a reminder of the circular patterns etched into the world around us. I often long to hear the sound of the clacking of antlers in the elk preserve outside of town, to see the way they run with their heads held high with such dignity, an experience that is all the more beautiful because you know they’re going to lose them again in just a short time.
Monotypes are really good mental exercises for me as an artist. They have to be done quickly, as the paint is very thin. And, when you print it, you get a reversed image, so it’s almost like opening Christmas presents when you pull the paper off the plate. I wanted to depict the strength, sheer size and force of the bison strolling toward the viewer through the tall grass prairie: peaceful, aware and observant.
When I think of pronghorns, I feel wide expanses of prairie with a big sky and a particular palette of muted green, tan, white, and black. It seems I only remember encountering pronghorns in arid landscapes of the West. They are such a unique animal, so well adapted to where and how they live. I also enjoy the drama of their coloring: the contrast of their white rear ends disappearing into the sage or the tall grass. As it is with most wildlife, that fleeting glimpse hangs in your memory and speaks of freedom.
