Chatham Arts Council

We nurture creative thinkers

  • About
    • Our Who, What, Why, and How
    • Our Past
    • Our Friends
    • Our Press
    • Our Contact Info
  • Kids
    • ClydeFEST-To-Go
      • ClydeFEST-To-Go Activity Page
    • ArtAssist for Kids
    • Artists-OUTSIDE-Schools
    • Artists-in-Schools
  • Artists
    • Meet This Artist
    • Go See This
    • Arts Directory
    • Arts Calendar
    • Grant Programs
    • – CAARE Artists Relief Grants
      • – CAARE Grant Application for Funds
    • – Grassroots Arts Grants
    • – Artist Support Grants (OCT 1 DEADLINE)
    • – NC CARES for Arts Grants (NOV 9 DEADLINE)
    • – Emerging Artist Grants (DEADLINE EXTENDED TO NOV 30)
  • CAARE
    • CAARE Application
    • Donate to CAARE
  • Who Values Arts
  • GIVE
    • Arts for Resilient Kids
    • Individuals & Families
    • Businesses
    • Chatham Artist/Arts-Workers Relief Effort (CAARE)

Search Chatham Arts Council

November 26, 2015

Meet This Artist: Joey Howell Creates in Paints & Notes

Joey5
Hear Joey playing guitar in his studio

In the deep woods of Chatham County, Joey Howell has found synchronicity between his two art forms. He plays music to create “visual imagery that transports the listener” and he paints visual images that “convey the rhythm, harmony and emotion of music.” There is a bold yen and yang flow between them – rather like the Rocky River that runs just beyond his studio.

“I’ve been a musician almost all my life,” said Joey.  “I started drawing about 15 years ago as a way to jump start my musical creativity. I was surprised by how much fun it is and that I Joey 11have a knack for it.  From there I started painting.  Being a musician/artist is what makes me feel like myself, that I’m doing the right thing with my life.”

joey6His paintings: Joey’s paintings are brightly colored, loose and flowing. His favorite subjects include objects in the cosmos and animals. He is a member of the Chatham Artists Guild and of the 53 studios participating in this year’s 23rd  Annual Studio Tour, his is the farthest outpost. (Thus Studio #43 is a good place to start, then work your way in). His studio will be open December 5 and 6. The tour will also be held December 12 and 13. A tour artist opening reeption will be held Friday, Dec. 4 from 7-9 pm at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, NC.

Joey painting 6
Joey painting 1
Joey painting 3

His music: Joey’s music is mostly “jazzy-funk-world-dance music” that he performs with ZamBamBooGee which released a CD this summer (available at shows and at the Joyful Jewell in Pittsboro). It also includes Susanne Saunders (lead and harmony vocals, keyboards, percussion); Bruce Saunders album cover(bass, guitar); Travis Cohn (drum set); Scotty Young (percussion, harmonica, guitar); and Geo deSocio (sound engineer). Joey provides guitar and sings. You can catch them at the Pittsboro Roadhouse on Saturday, March 5 at 8 pm. To book ZamBamBooGee, e-mail Scotty at trancedance@mindspring.com or call (919) 414-3338.

From the Artist:

Full Name: Joey Howell

Where did you grow up? What brought you to Chatham County?
I grew up in Greenville, N.C. My wife, writer and herbalist Lisa Neal, and I lived in Durham for nine years after college and we wanted to move to the country. A friend showed us around Chatham and introduced us to some people. Less than a year later we were here. But we’ve only been around 28 years – not long by Chatham standards. This is definitely the best place to live.Joey with Lisa

What are you currently working on?
I have spent the last year mostly playing music. ZamBam released a new CD in July, so I put a lot of work into that.  My latest paintings have been purely abstract. One idea I’ve been exploring is creating a made-up alphabet, so I can “write” on my paintings, but we don’t know what it means. Everyone can make up his or her own narrative.Joey 12

My life in a nutshell: Get up not too early (we’re night owls), feed the pets, enjoy morning time with my wife Lisa. Then we walk theJoey 15 dogs. I get a little exercise, play some guitar or otherwise work on music. Splash some paint or do art-related tasks.  There are always a few chores to do. At some point we fix some food and eat. Play with the dogs and cat. Teach guitar lessons. Maybe rehearse with the band or play a gig. The rest of my time I just piddle.

Strong memory from my childhood: Playing music with my brother David and with aunts, uncles and cousins. My parents liked to take us to Atlantic Beach and I have powerful recollections of the dunes near the Triple-S pier, back when there were hardly any houses.  It From Joey 4seemed like they went on forever.

Joey 21Jobs I’ve had: For a while I was a computer programmer, but that was a long time ago. For five years I was the IT Coordinator for Family Violence & Rape Crisis Services in Chatham County. I currently teach guitar at a local school.

I am inspired by: all great music and art, of course. I especially love Brazilian jazz, and the first painter who knocked me out was Stanton MacDonald-Wright. The ocean and the vastness of the universe are also right up there.

Joey painting 2When I’m not making art you’ll find me: Hanging out with Lisa, cuddling with the dogs, playing guitar.

Most people don’t know: I love foreign languages. For the last several years I’ve been studying Portuguese pretty hard so I can understand the lyrics to Brazilian songs. (The author bodaciously adds that Joey graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in 1979.)

Three things I wouldn’t want to live without: my family and pets. I try not to be that attached to things, but lessee… If I had to cut it down to just one guitar, I have this Ibanez seven-string archtop that I’m really enjoying right now (low-A string for all you guitar geeks). If I only had one color, it would probably be dioxazine purple. It’s just so rich.

joey 10
Joey 24
Joey1
From Joey 3
Joey 22

My favorite places to eat/hang out in Chatham County: I mostly hang out at home. Any venue where my band ZamBamBooGee is playing is a great place to be.

joey2Chatham County artists who inspire me: There are so many Chatham artists who are great that it’s hard to narrow that down. I love Julia Kennedy’s painting and Sally Sutton blows my mind. I’m a color junkie so it’s not surprising that I like Julia and Sally a lot.moondog

As an artist I feel a need to say: the same thing I need to say as a human being: Everybody love one another and while we’re at it let’s love the Earth too.

Ten years from now you’ll find me: I try to never predict the future but what I’m doing right now is pretty fun.

Joey painting 8
Joey painting 5
joey painting 4
joey painting 7

Links:
View Joey’s galleries
Visit Joey’s jukebox
Read Joey’s article about color scale
ZamBamBooGee website
ZamBamBooGee Facebook page
Chatham Artists Guild portfolio

Joey 19

Joey 20

Related

By Bett Wilson Foley | Filed Under: Artist Close-Up, County Happenings, Events, Meet this Artist, Slideshow Featured, Uncategorized | Tagged With: Art Show, Artist, Chatham Artists Guild, Chatham County Studio Tour, Cultural Events, Joyful Jewell, Meet This Artist, musician, painter, Siler City, teaching artist

About Bett Wilson Foley

Bett is a Chatham Arts Council Board member. She grew up in Chatham County, and moved back here after some years away. She spends her days gardening, arranging flowers, shooting photographs, hiking, and spending time with my family and four dogs. Her earliest creative memory is of drawing with her sisters.

Comments

  1. Travis Cohn says

    December 1, 2015 at 11:19 pm

    What a great portrait of my friend, bandmate and hero Joey Howell!

    Thank you Bett, for this juicy glimpse of one of the greatest human enigma’s I know (still!), including some creases that I had not yet explored (really relishing these photos of a young Joey (and Lisa too), bright eyed, bushy headed (as always) and clearly ahead of his time (and patiently enduring the rest of us laggards!…. still!).

    One of the many things this modest fellow didn’t mention (one can only fit so much!) is that he very deftly ushered our ZamBamBooGee album cover (shown above) to a heightened realization, exhibiting a hitherto unseen adeptness in blending his technical ken with machines with his visual artistic talents. Be warned, this guy could be a graphic design force to be reckoned with!

    Such a giving, thoughtful and talented treasure of this artistic community, I regularly feel grateful to get to work with Joey in the ways that I am privileged to. If you don’t already, I hope you’ll get to know his glow too.

    Reply
    • Bett Wilson Foley says

      December 2, 2015 at 7:54 pm

      What a wonderful tribute to Joey! Thanks for sharing your comments.

      Reply
  2. Marion OMalley says

    December 4, 2015 at 8:18 am

    This is such a fabulous deep peak into Joey Howell and I appreciate it. I’m out of town this weekend but will try to make it next. Love the color of Joey’s paintings and life!

    Reply
  3. jane Filer says

    December 12, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    What a beautiful life!!!!

    Reply
  4. Clifford David says

    December 13, 2015 at 4:49 am

    Joey is one very special person. I’m so lucky to have him as a cousin and friend.

    Reply
  5. Kathy Register says

    December 13, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    Beautiful article about a beautiful man, my old friend Joe-bob. Lisa-bob ain’t so bad either. She helped save the Eno River. I’m a fan of everything Joey (his music, his art, his wife, his brother and his sister-in-law, his parents, and the “chickens” chased by his dogs.)

    Congratulations, Joey, on a great article, and Bett for her observations.

    Reply
  6. Dick David says

    December 13, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    Some lucky guys like me are related to people like Joey. A very nice portrait, well done!.

    Reply
  7. Jon Sevy says

    December 14, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    Beautiful article! I love the images of Joey’s paintings and abode, and especially like the pictures from a while back. And to add to Joey’s biographical background, he graduated not only magna cum laude, but with a degree in mathematics. So he’s been a renaissance guy for as long as I’ve known him!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Go See This

Go See This: Chatham County Schools’ Winter Arts Festival

As new members of our Chatham County community, Chatham Park is powering our Go See This series this year because art is an integral part of Chatham County’s identity. They join us in inviting you to Go See This . . . As the saying goes in the theater world, “the show must go on,” even… Read More →

Become a Member

Help us invest in artists and educate kids through the arts in Chatham County. Will you renew your membership or join us for the first time today?

Join Now →

Very Cool ClydeFEST 2019 Sponsors

  • 2016-0912-cac_clydefest_sponsor_hobbs-architects_logo_small
  • 2016-0915-cac_clydefest_sponsor-logo_lesley-landis-designs
  • B and J Custom Printers

  • 2017-1119 CAC_Chatham Park_logo
  • 2016-0921-cac_clydefest_sponsor_logo_blueline-contracting
  • Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 11.40.02 AM
  • Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 11.40.43 AM
  • 2016-1113 CAC_Pickin_Sponsor_Logo_501 Pharmacy
  • 2017-1119 CAC_Cheek Electric_logo
  • 2016-1113 CAC_Pickin_Sponsor_Logo_Katy McReynolds
  • 2017-1119 CAC_Deep River Mercantile_logo
  • 2018-0321 CAC_Chatham Pediatric Dentistry_Logo
  • 2018-0327 CAC_Woodscapers_logo
  • 2016-0912 CAC_ClydeFEST_Sponsor_Rosemary House_Logo

Latest Tweet

My Tweets

PO Box 418
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-0394
Email Us

Local Businesses Investing in the Arts

  • 2016-0912-cac_clydefest_sponsor_hobbs-architects_logo_small
  • 2016-0915-cac_clydefest_sponsor-logo_lesley-landis-designs
  • B and J Custom Printers

  • 2017-1119 CAC_Chatham Park_logo
  • 2016-0921-cac_clydefest_sponsor_logo_blueline-contracting
  • Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 11.40.02 AM
  • Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 11.40.43 AM
  • 2016-1113 CAC_Pickin_Sponsor_Logo_501 Pharmacy
  • 2017-1119 CAC_Cheek Electric_logo
  • 2016-1113 CAC_Pickin_Sponsor_Logo_Katy McReynolds
  • 2017-1119 CAC_Deep River Mercantile_logo
  • 2018-0321 CAC_Chatham Pediatric Dentistry_Logo
  • 2018-0327 CAC_Woodscapers_logo
  • 2016-0912 CAC_ClydeFEST_Sponsor_Rosemary House_Logo
Subscribe to our E-News
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Proud member of Arts NC and Designated County Partner to the NC Arts Council
Copyright © 2021 Chatham Arts Council • Website by Tomatillo Design