T 



It was a 



very hot summer day as 



'Mending Nets: Northeaster" 



Fellowship. For six months he was able 

 to spend all his time drawing the coast of 

 North Carolina. He lived among and 

 studied the fishermen, net-menders and 

 dockworkers. He sketched boats, nets, 

 fish, shrimp, cottages, dunes and the sea 

 — themes that would characterize much 

 of his work. 



During this period, Howell became 

 more acutely aware of color and reflected 

 light. He painted in the daytime, and he 

 was immersed in the effects of light and 

 color. Howell's own words introduce 

 students to his use of "warm" and "cool" 

 colors to create a mood or an emotion: "I 

 know the sky is not orange but on a hot 

 day, when the sandflies are biting and it 

 is perfectly calm, you feel that everything 

 is red, orange — the psychological use of 

 color. It is not naturalistic. It is realistic. I 

 am trying to give you the feeling of the 

 sort of day it is." 



Is it any wonder that these elemen- 

 tary school students are moved to write 

 poetry? 



Howell was a born teacher, and he 

 loved it. In 1953, without benefit of a 

 single day in college himself, he was 



asked to create an art department for 

 Wilmington College, which later became 

 the University of North Carolina at 

 Wilmington. This opportunity enabled 

 him finally to give up his job at the 

 railroad and devote all of his time to art. 

 He remained at the school until 1980. 



The contributions of this artist are 

 beyond measure. Howell dedicated his 

 entire life to art and to his community. 

 Long after he was physically unable to 

 practice his craft, he was a commentator 

 for public radio, painting colorful pictures 

 with words in his memorable personal 

 vignettes. No citizen of Wilmington ever 

 loved St. John's Museum of Art more. He 

 supported it with his time, his money and 

 his art throughout his life and left his 

 estate to that institution upon his death in 

 February 1997. It is a fitting tribute to this 

 remarkable native son that St. John's has 

 developed the "Art in the Schools" 

 program. Howell's graphic depictions of 

 the saga of the sea and a bygone era in 

 North Carolina's coastal history have 

 created a singular artistic legacy that will 

 continue to inspire and stir the imagina- 

 tions of children. □ 



/ was sitting on the dock with my 



friends Jessie and Jake. Our life of 



being fishermen was okay! We have 



been getting up at the crack of dawn 



mending nets and driving the boat. 



That day it was blaiing hot, you 



could feel the sweat coming off the 



back of your neck. Jake was a 



cautious, strong armed fisherman 



who cared about other people. 



Jessie was religious and creative; 



she cared about friends and family 



The dock was painted a mixture 



of yellowish, orange, brown. The 



ocean was blue, but the sun beating 



down made it look a bright orange. 



There were small islands behind the 



boat. The painting I am trying to 



describe was by Claude Howell. 



By Lindsay, fifth grade 



COASTWATCH 17 



