This movies is more than a mere portrait of James Howell. It is a mediation on art, life, the spiritual and infinity.

James Howell (1935–2014) – Master of Light and Shadow

James Howell’s journey from Kansas City to the global art scene was anything but ordinary. Trained in literature and architecture at Stanford, he took a daring leap into abstract art in the 1960s. Inspired by shifting light and subtle tones, he dedicated his life to exploring the infinite shades of gray.

His award-winning studios—first on San Juan Island, then in New York—became the birthplace of his signature “light into shadow” paintings. Fascinated by mathematics, physics, and Eastern philosophy, he pushed the boundaries of what painting could be.

Today, his legacy lives on through The James Howell Foundation, with works represented by Bartha Contemporary (London) and Galerie Bigaignon (Paris).