Danny Howes

Danny Howes is a portrait artist. Born in Staffordshire, 1973, he spent his childhood in the North West and the Midlands. He cites as a major influence on his portraits the changing social and built environments experienced during his youth. Subsequently, Danny’s paintings of figures and faces have a story and place within the world.

Danny studied BA Hons Fine Art and Art History at DeMontfort University Leicester, and University of Granada, Spain, graduating in 1999.

“I am inspired by people. Storytelling and context is very important to me whether creating observational portraits, or larger paintings with figures and strong narratives. I look for intrigue in everyday situations and I love to capture the character of sitters, often with gritty beauty through my expressive realism style.”

An accomplished and successful professional portrait and figure painter for over 20 years, Danny’s work has been shown in sell-out solo exhibitions and group shows across the UK, and has been published in many books and magazines. In 2018 he reached the final of the acclaimed television show Sky Arts Portrait Artist Of The Year, and has completed many commissions for private collectors, as well as corporate and celebrity clients worldwide.

Danny lives and works in Staffordshire and often travels the country, drawing inspiration from the people, rich urban industrial environments, and social history of UK cities.

His work has been reproduced in many publications to include, but not exclusively: ‘Kenneth Grange, Designing the Modern World’, Lucy Johnston (Thames & Hudson 2024); ‘Portraits for NHS Heroes’, Tom Croft (Bloomsbury 2020); ‘The Truth Behind The Irish Famine’, Jerry Mulvihill (2017)

Selected exhibitions

2024 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, group RBSA portrait exhibition

2023 Colley Ison Gallery Birmingham, Solo Show – figurative exhibition

2022 Compton Verney Warwickshire, Group Show – Sky Arts exhibition

2021 Department Store Gallery Brixton London, Group Show – CBPP portrait

2018 Cass Art Gallery Islington London, Group Show – Sky Arts exhibition

2018 Reuben Colley Fine Arts Birmingham, Solo Show – Market Paintings exhibition

2018 Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Group Show

2017 Reuben Colley Fine Arts Birmingham, Solo Show – portraits exhibition

2015 Leicester Art Gallery, Group Show

You can see more of Danny’s work on his webpage: https://www.dannyhowes.com/