Rumor, something like a whisper 2022

Lanise Howard created this striking painting, "Rumor, something like a whisper," with I think, acrylics. It’s about a mood as much as it is about what’s depicted. The figures are set against these pale, almost ghostly trees and a fiery sunset, but it’s the way Howard works the paint that really gets me. Look at the skin tones, how they shift and blend. And the hair—so much attention to detail! It feels like she's building up layers, letting the colors mix and mingle on the surface. That black bird, perched there, really grabs your attention. There's a lot of art historical reference here, but it has its own logic, its own way of seeing. It makes me think of early Alice Neel, that same intensity and focus on the individual, but with its own unique voice. It’s a powerful reminder that art is always in conversation, always building on what came before.