“In my figure drawings, I’m trying to talk about human gesture as well as human form — the abstract landscape of the torso, in the case of the drawings in the book. These are explorations, loving explorations I would say, of the human figure in line — sometimes only line, sometimes line and tone. All my figure drawings have to be created with tremendous speed – a great outburst of energy and empathy, totally focussed, totally directed.” ~ Barbara Howard