Patterns of Life is a collection in progress, which will contain fifteen paintings and five sculptures. These works of art represent the artist’s philosophical views and personal experiences, expressed through visual language elements (e.g., lines, shapes, forms, textures, and colors).  

This collection explores the challenges in life and their influences on the development of the human soul. Irina’s paintings are named after the various themes they characterize: Patterns of Life, Challenges, Poverty (Physical and Spiritual), Addiction, Nostalgia, Innocence, Freedom, Virtue, Soul Purpose, Dream, Wisdom, Miracle, Inspiration, Harmony, and Hope. The sculptures are inspired by the paintings and are named: Representation of Life, Soul Purpose, Virtue, Harmony, and Hope.

Irina’s process combines thoughtful, conscious decision-making and spontaneous, intuitive solutions to create compositions. She recognizes the psychological influence of elements and how they generate rhythm and mood and uses them to create intriguing and delightful experiences for the viewer. Irina often uses symbols to visualize concepts that do not have a physical form yet are recognized immediately once seen.

The purpose of Patterns of Life is to challenge the viewers’ imagination and focus on the emotional and spiritual energy to improve the quality of life and be a better version of the human being. This project can reach a broad and diverse audience with its meaning and inspiration.

The images will be available upon the project’s completion.

 

 

“Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perch in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all” – Emily Dickinson.

I firmly believe in hope as an engine to better myself and the world around me. It strengthens during a difficult time and opens possibilities for a better future. Hope motivates us to fight for what we care about and inspires vision. Vision brings out the best in people and improves humanity.

Hope stayed with us even when nothing else left. It helps us overcome our challenges and extends its arms when other sources fail. It pushes heavy clouds apart to bring the sun out. It warms us up when it’s cold. It is always ahead – to break through, lighten up, and drive us into a better, bigger, refined future. 

 

Nostalgia is not a simple feeling. It is many layers of a human experience through time and space and contradicts their emotional response. It is also a memories reflection, looking back on life events, people, relationships, and places where we were happy. Moments that we recreate in our imagination to feel that emotion repeatedly.

I want to put a smile on someone’s face, raise their heart, and make them live their moments again, realizing that beautiful things happened back then and many of them ahead.

 

Addiction is a symbolic representation of dependency expressed via a cycle of repetitive events (a head-like form with a group of hair-like units). The contradictory experiences and compulsive behavior of an addict interfere with controlling intense urges to take a drug. Powerlessness in making the right choice brings a person to an edge between good and evil, life and death. Web-like patterns absorb a person deeply into an addiction to take their life.

Molecular circular forms represent hope, enlightenment, and a new beginning. Rising above the darkness and embracing the enlightenment – are my biggest hope and greatest desire for any soul exposed to self-destruction.

 

Every element in the Representation of Life is symbolic and contains its own texture. Texture creates an aesthetic experience, communicating the significance of life experiences that have no physical presence, yet is recognized once seen. The idea for the sculpture is to reflect on the meaning in life, the variety of backgrounds, and its influence on the human soul.

 

The concept of the Soul’s Purpose is essentially spiritual and exists to shape meaning in life and its passionate pursuits. Every soul has its unique path that brings a sense of freedom and serenity, even when this question sometimes causes uncertainty and a feeling of being lost. 

Sometimes we wander through life like a dense forest, searching for something we do not know or know but do not accept. The truth is simple, and it never hides from us, but we hide from it by wrapping ourselves in the practical conclusions of our minds. All that is needed is an open path to freedom, creativity, and serenity.

 

Homelessness is about the strength of not giving up but rising to heal and recreate own life.

This painting describes strong emotions: an overwhelming feeling of loss, frustration, depression, rejection, and a sense of not belonging and, at the same time, rising over the chaos, confronting the circumstances, and finding a way out. The choice is up to the individual: to fall to the bottom of survival or rise above the circumstances to rebuild and recreate. I am challenging a new beginning.

 

This painting is about overcoming challenges as obstacles that suppress our decision-making abilities and lock the opportunities leading to solutions. Yet, while challenged, we must be open-minded and explore new ideas with variouschoices. Every choice brings a different solution. The best one comes as divine inspiration.

Innocence is the quality of being morally pure, childlike, and sinless, with no harm to themselves or others. We consciously want to protect and empower that part of us looking to infuse our souls with love, joy, peace, kindness, and goodness.  It is a very rare quality in our contemporary world. The intention of this painting is to remind us about the virtue of innocence, a pure part of our souls.   

As we experience life, we become more compromised and corrupted, drowning out the pure intentions of the soul. Its voice goes lower and quieter while the environment dictates a certain behavior. It takes courage to say “no” or be honest, so we place our souls in jail and shoot down the goodness in us. By shielding innocence, we choose to be better humans and have purer souls.

Reviews

“When greatness is in the making, the genius is palpable! I can feel the synergy between the artist, the idea, and the canvas. There is always latency between the work and appreciation of the genius of said work.” – Dr. Larry Covin, Educator, Systematic Theologian-Religion Scholar

“Your work is truly creative, Irina. I commend you on your ability to link your art to a deeper meaning.” – Jim Seitz, Visual Artist

“Your concept and your work are really exciting.” – Mourad Elloumi, International Artist

“Thank you for this wonderful rebirth of human hope; it must be understood that the privations we are currently going through are difficult, but they are initiatory. Your artistic work makes us understand that -art not only seeks sensation but it also seeks the expression of life. Thank you very much, dear Irina.” – Mourad Elloumi, International Artist

“I find this work to be both visually exquisite (her interaction of line, form, texture, and implied space) and possessing an important narrative for our present time. Irina Howard’s artistic skill in creating and presenting such diverse images is outstanding.” –Dr. Jeffrey Hoover, Composer and Interdisciplinary Artist/ Art Educator

“It is a thing of beauty to behold a master of her craft creating! Every detail is given such care and attention. How can one not be drawn in? Art, whether painting or writing, is a gift to the artist first and then to the world. I am a writer, not a painter, yet I feel a kinship with this creative work of art. Thank you for contributing to the beautiful things of this world!” – Dr. Larry Covin, Educator, Systematic Theologian-Religion Scholar

“I am very pleased to let you know that your artwork really stood out to me” – Myrina Tunberg Georgiou, CFA Director

“We are honored to exhibit such unique and incredible talent!” – Lori McBride, Las Laguna Art Gallery

“Our noteworthy Curatorial Review Committee was most impressed by your superb oeuvre such as “PATTERNS OF LIFE” which resonates with a profound visual narrative as you reveal the invisible within the visible. The spiritual, artistic journey that you portray in your stellar oeuvre was quite impressive and was a triumph of personal expression. “REPRESENTATION OF LIFE” generated a profound sense of symbolism while reflecting a universal message. We salute you on your aesthetically absorbing oeuvre, which reverberates with a dynamic textural sense and powerful, visceral shapes. We were enthralled by the emotive quality of “HOPE” which reflects your fine talent and vibrant visual intensity of tones. Your compelling “NOSTALGIA” conveys your unique artistic vision of capturing the impalpable as you seize the essence of the emotional and physical experience. Our Committee salutes you on your stellar oeuvre with its important visual narrative and its emotional link to the human and artistic experience. We are so pleased with your marvelous art and the positive energy of your stellar compositions.” – Ruthie Tucker, Executive Director – Curator, Amsterdam Whitney Gallery   

“We believe In the darkest and most difficult periods such as those which we have recently experienced, and for many are still ongoing, art becomes even more vital, and artists like yourself become a shining beacon- offering beauty, hope, inspiration, and possibility… we have had an overwhelming reaction to your works- we all agree that the unique approach to visual art is a vision that not only excels through your subtle reinterpretation of art historical and contemporary cultural references but also creates a fresh new voice within the global art scene. Your works show a serene balance between aesthetic contemplation and poetic narrative-layered, lyrical, euphoric yet pensive energy going far beyond expressionism or a simple art object, drawing or painting” – Katie Brawn, Editor at Visual Voices International 

 

 

 

 

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