Mission Santa Clara de Asís: A Legacy of Faith, Family, and Alma Mater
Deeply personal and rich with nostalgia, Mission Santa Clara de Asís is a heartwarming tribute to the campus where artist Howard studied, met his wife, and built a lifetime of memories.
"As I was preparing to paint this mission for the second time... I was flooded with memories of my days on this beautiful campus as a student and where I met my wife," Howard recalls.
Key Details & Personal Stories:
The Cloistered Gardens: Set against the mission's central bell tower and traditional Spanish adobe architecture, the painting highlights manicured lawns, palm trees, and sheltering wisteria vines—a peaceful sanctuary for students and faculty.
A Personal Cameo: In the gardens on the right, Howard and his wife, Kathy, are depicted in front of the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Both are Santa Clara graduates (classes of '71 and '72) who attended late-night student Mass and were later married in the mission church.
A Multigenerational Connection: The artist included his son, Tim, who attended SCU 27 years later, pictured playing guitar on the lawn.
Fourth-Grade Mission Projects: The piece celebrates the classic California 4th-grade mission project, a nod to the model mission built by his son Tim that Howard kept in his studio for decades alongside his son Casey's project of La Purísima.
Mission Santa Clara de Asís: A Legacy of Faith, Family, and Alma Mater
Deeply personal and rich with nostalgia, Mission Santa Clara de Asís is a heartwarming tribute to the campus where artist Howard studied, met his wife, and built a lifetime of memories.
"As I was preparing to paint this mission for the second time... I was flooded with memories of my days on this beautiful campus as a student and where I met my wife," Howard recalls.
Key Details & Personal Stories:
The Cloistered Gardens: Set against the mission's central bell tower and traditional Spanish adobe architecture, the painting highlights manicured lawns, palm trees, and sheltering wisteria vines—a peaceful sanctuary for students and faculty.
A Personal Cameo: In the gardens on the right, Howard and his wife, Kathy, are depicted in front of the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Both are Santa Clara graduates (classes of '71 and '72) who attended late-night student Mass and were later married in the mission church.
A Multigenerational Connection: The artist included his son, Tim, who attended SCU 27 years later, pictured playing guitar on the lawn.
Fourth-Grade Mission Projects: The piece celebrates the classic California 4th-grade mission project, a nod to the model mission built by his son Tim that Howard kept in his studio for decades alongside his son Casey's project of La Purísima.
