Amy Howell is a contemporary abstract artist based in Gulfport, Florida, whose work explores
movement, atmosphere, color, and emotional resonance through layered abstraction and
expressive mark making. Her recent work is influenced by social unrest and justice, though it is not always obvious, while seeking to create spaces of inner calm, joy, reflection, and lightness for the viewer.
Working intuitively with palette knives, texture, and luminous color relationships, Howell
creates paintings that evoke both energy and stillness — compositions that feel at once
architectural, atmospheric, and deeply personal. Inspired by the coastal light and vibrant visual
landscape of Florida, her paintings often suggest reflections, urban rhythms, shifting horizons,
and emotional landscapes rather than fixed places.
Howell earned a BA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois, though her artistic path
increasingly drew her toward painting and photography. Her creative journey has taken her
from the Pacific Northwest to Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she exhibited frequently
with the Provincetown Art Association, before ultimately settling in Florida in 2019. Since then,
she has become an active presence in the regional arts community through exhibitions,
galleries, and public art events.
In addition to her studio practice, Howell works at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg,
where she is continually inspired by innovative exhibitions and the museum’s commitment to
making art accessible and engaging for the entire community. Earlier in her career, she
worked both as a patient advocate supporting children facing mental health challenges and as
a chef and baker — experiences that continue to inform the empathy, intuition, and sensory
richness within her work.
Her paintings are currently exhibited at DRV Gallery in Gulfport, Florida, and she continues to
participate in exhibitions throughout the region. Looking ahead, Howell is expanding her
practice into large-scale commercial interiors, hospitality environments, and collaborations with
environmentally conscious companies interested in integrating contemporary art into everyday
spaces and products.
For Howell, painting is both grounding and transformative — a process of freedom, presence,
and connection. Through abstraction, she hopes to create work that resonates emotionally
and offers viewers a sense of openness, movement, and possibility.