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The Moody, Dramatic Landscapes of Meredith Howse

Art Lovers | 16 October 2021

Written by Anna Itkonen

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Meredith Howse is an award-winning Australian landscape artist. Her natural landscapes are dramatic, emotion-filled and inspired by the endless beauty of our natural environment.

“Landscapes move me in strong, powerful ways. It might be the shadows I see, the light coming through the trees or the rolling hills in the distance. All this brings out so many emotions in me,” Meredith said. “I am mad about storms. I prefer moody landscapes and the movement and drama that is part of it.”

Meredith Howse Our Sunburnt Country

Meredith Howse

Meredith’s recent work is primarily abstract. The landscapes, while recognisable, are constructed from abstract elements leaving a lot of room for colour, energy and emotion to be in the forefront. Then again, calling her art abstract would be only half the truth, and determining her style in art terms is quite difficult.

“I call my style Australian freestyle. I was getting frustrated with the existing options for different styles of art,” Meredith said. “The list of styles seemed inadequate, and I didn’t feel there was anything there that related to what I was doing. Australian freestyle is a perfect description of what I do. And I think it applies to others too.”

Although now focused on abstract and landscape, figurative painting was a great learning tool for Meredith. “It taught me a lot about the mediums I use,” she said. “Abstract art allows more room for the viewer to connect with the painting. It is not as pre-determined and invites a more open connection with the subject matter. The viewer sees what they want to see in it. They react to the colours and mood of the painting.”

Meredith wants to guide her viewers in specific directions and suggests some viewpoints. “I do like to give [the viewer] an idea of space and time. I usually name my paintings according to where I am. I hope to arouse a sense of love for a specific streetscape, a memory of visiting that place or recognising the landscape or some specific part of it. Then again, I want to leave room for the landscape itself to be the king and the queen.”

Many of her paintings are motivated by her travels, her views, landscapes or experiences. These moments are captured in photos and notes that are brought back to her studio. In her studio, the aim is to replicate that feeling and experience on canvas.

“When I start a painting, I have an outcome planned. I see it finished in my head. Recently, I find I am becoming a bit more spontaneous and letting the painting lead me instead of me leading it. The outcome is so much more exciting when I do this.”

“When I paint, it is a balance between painting to express myself and imagining the artwork in someone’s home,” she described. “I am interested in interior design and follow a lot of interior designers. I would be lying if I said that the thought of where my painting might end up would not be a part of the journey.”

Meredith’s artworks Old Regret and Our Sunburnt Country were chosen by Georgia (Ronnie and Georgia) for styling in her house for their hallways on The Block 2021. And though the originals still hang beautifully on The Block, limited edition prints are available to purchase in Meredith’s shop on Art Lovers Australia.

Meredith Howse Our Sunburnt Country

Ronnie & Georgia | The Block 2021

The viewer is invited to lose themselves in Meredith’s paintings. She aims to create something deeper; an emotion of connection, a feeling of warmth, a blush of remembrance or simply a notion of movement in the painting.

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