Procession; the act of Guiding 2021

Lanise Howard’s painting 'Procession; the act of Guiding' shows a figure emerging from a landscape of lunar light and large leaves. I can just picture Lanise building up layer upon layer to create that incredible skin tone. There’s a strong yet serene presence in her gaze. And the painting's not just about what we see, but also what we feel, right? That gentle hand resting on the shoulder – it could be a lover, a friend, a guardian, I don't know. But It’s like Howard is inviting us to consider the complexities of human connection. Painters are always in conversation with one another, aren’t they? I see echoes of Alice Neel in Howard's unflinching portrayal of the figure, but there’s also something uniquely her own going on here. It feels intimate and expansive all at once.