Nancy Howe is a nationally recognized painter whose oil paintings are admired for their refined realism and quiet strength. Entirely self-taught, she developed her love of nature and wildlife as a child and has carried that connection throughout her career.
Working from her Vermont studio since the late 1980s, Nancy refined her craft through close observation and a deep sensitivity to the natural world. Her subjects range from wildlife and landscapes to still lifes and figurative work, all noted for their clarity, detail, and presence.
In a field largely dominated by men, Nancy achieved several historic “firsts” for women. She was the first woman to win the Federal Duck Stamp Competition (established in 1934) and, in 2005, was named Master Wildlife Artist by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art exhibition.
In 2007, she created Painting a Brighter Future for Women in partnership with The Boma Project. The series was inspired by pastoral and Indigenous women in Kenya, Bhutan, and Panama, with proceeds supporting women in those communities.
In her recording, Nancy reflects on the importance of patience and the unexpected moments that shape creative work, and she offers thoughtful advice to aspiring artists.
Nancy’s website can be found at: https://nancyhowe.com/
Images: Top row (l-r) Faith 1997, 25 x 32, Oil on linen; True North 2019, 22 x 36, Oil on linen, indigenous reindeer camp, arctic; Alchemy 2025, 20 x 24, Oil on Belgian Linen, Archival Panel young girl with lantern, barn owl, and crow; Riding the Wind 2022, 20 x 30, Oil on Belgian linen, Norwegian Fjord Horse and Doves. Bottom row (l-r): Birds in Art 2004, 14 x 18, Oil on linen; Grace Note 2011, 26 x 21, Oil on linen, Kenya; Transformation 2024, 20 x 18, Oil on linen panel, Barn owls and cabbage butterflies; the Dance Within 2008, 24 x 18, Oil on linen.
