ABOUT THE WORK: 

    

​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​        I create my ​oil​ ​paintings​ ​​in​ ​plein​ ​air​ ​and​ ​in​ ​the​ ​studio.​ ​Working outdoors allows me to immerse myself in an environment to better engage my senses and to capture the nuances of the colors. On​ ​some​ ​occasions​ ​I ​use​ the​ ​plein air​ ​painting​ ​as​ ​a​ ​study​ ​for​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​studio​ ​piece.​ ​​My studio work, on the other hand, allows for a more in depth investigation into my subject to select details that define it's character. What​ ​most​ ​informs​ ​the​ ​paintings​ ​are​ ​shapes​ ​that​ ​create​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​design​ ​and​ ​elements​ ​that comment​ ​on​ ​our​ ​contemporary​ ​existence.​ ​To​ ​characterize​ ​my ​paintings​ ​would​ ​be​ ​to​ ​call​ ​them events​ ​of​ ​the​ ​everyday.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​in​ ​these​ ​seemingly​ ​mundane​ ​moments​ ​that​ ​I look​ ​for​ ​a potential narrative​ ​that​ ​could​ ​be​ ​used​ ​to​ ​tell a story.​​ To​ ​strengthen​ ​my intent,​ ​I use traditional painting techniques balanced with​ ​poetic​ ​interpretation. ​​My affinity​ ​with​ ​light​ ​is​ ​paramount​ when creating my paintings ​to elevate the subject​ and ​form​ ​to​ ​this​ ​new ​filtered​ ​reality. 

ABOUT​ ​THE​ ​ARTIST:

​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​     Beyond the environment, inspiration​ ​for​ ​my work​ ​comes​ ​from​ ​many sources​ ​such​ ​as​ ​music,​ ​media,​ ​and​ ​books. Being​ ​a​ ​self-taught​ ​artist,​ ​my ​education​ ​has​ ​consisted of​ ​reading​ ​about​ ​and​ ​studying​ ​the​ ​work​ ​of​ ​artists​ ​that​ I​ ​admire.​ ​My ​diverse artistic​ ​influences​ ​ range​ ​from​ ​Richard​ ​Diebenkorn​ ​to​ ​Robert​ ​Bechtle. By​ ​far, the​ ​most​ ​influential has​ ​been​ ​Edward​ ​Hopper. ​My ​award-winning​ ​work​ ​has​ ​been​ ​included​ ​in​ ​juried​ ​exhibitions​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Butler​ ​Institute​ ​of American​ ​Art​ ​in​ ​Youngstown,​ ​Ohio,​ ​Portland​ ​Museum​ ​of​ ​Art​ ​in​ ​Portland,​ ​Maine,​ ​and​ ​at​ ​the Center​ ​for​ ​Maine​ ​Contemporary​ ​Art​ ​in​ ​Rockland,​ ​Maine, among others.In addition,​ ​I've ​taught​ ​several​ ​oil painting​ ​workshops​ ​and​ ​currently​ ​provide​ ​instructional​ ​painting​ ​videos​ ​on​ ​my ​YouTube​ ​channel, habowskistudio.

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