Harrison Howard and his Fanciful World

If you've heard it from me once, you've heard it a million times.... I get weak in the knees for Chinoiserie ("good" Chinoiserie, mind you.). So it was with great excitement that I learned about artist and decorative painter Harrison Howard. Howard spent the early part of his career painting murals in private homes, working for such illustrious design firms as McMillen, Inc., Irvine and Fleming, and Pamela Banker. Fortunately for us, Howard now paints beautiful watercolors and wall panels that are reminiscent of a bygone era.

Inspired by the Chinoiserie illustrations of 18th c. French artist Jean Pillement, Howard paints colorful and charming scenes of Chinese men keeping butterflies, painting sea creatures, gazing at the stars through a telescope, and fishing (words don't do them justice; you must see them for yourself.) There is also a series of flower and shell people which reflect Howard's love of flowers, children's book illustrations, and fashion illustration. Believe me, while this series is whimsical, it is anything but sugary.

While Howard's watercolors are available for sale through his website, you might also be interested in one of his limited edition giclee prints. I just recently purchased one of these prints (in case you're wondering, it's "The Butterfly Keeper" featured at top), and if I didn't know better I would have thought it was the actual watercolor painting itself. It's colorful and amusing, and it brings a smile to my face everytime I see it. The print was also shipped from San Diego (Howard's home) to Atlanta with great care- no damage reported! So, here are a few samples below, but there are many more on his site. I'd love to hear what your favorites are.

From the "Chinoiseries" series:


"The Crab Painter"


"The Departure"

From the "Shell and Flower People" series:


"A Friendly Meeting"


"The Looking Glass"


"The Greeting"

Howard's "Shell" Series:


"The Green Angaria"


"Yellow Pecten with Red Seaweed"