Donna Howell-Sickles works on paper and canvas in a mix of charcoal, pastel and acrylic, often leaving her under-drawing visible. Through her colorful, smiling cowgirls, she has created heroines out of common women. Her work is rich with symbolism and allusions to classical mythology. The color red is always present in her work, as it symbolizes life and energy to the artist. Animals often stand for an obstacle overcome as well as inner strength.Howell-Sickles was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in 2007. Her work is in the collections of the Tucson Museum of Fine Art, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, as well as many private and corporate collections in the U.S. and Europe.
A book about her work, The Art of Donna Howell-Sickles, Cowgirl Rising by Peg Streep, was published in 1997. Recently inducted into AWA’s Heritage Circle as a life-time member, Donna is a Master Signature member and one of the founders of American Women Artists.Watch Donna’s presentation from our 2015 Symposium Voices and Visions from the New Frontier: A Symposium on Women and Art in the 21st Century here.
