Howson: Why I rely on Botox to keep painting
‘I’m trying to make the best of it’
ARTIST Peter Howson has revealed a medical condition could end his career – without regular injections of Botox.
The 58-year-old, whose art is sought after by collectors worldwide, feared he might have early stage Parkinson’s Disease when his right hand suddenly developed tremors that made it difficult to hold his brush.
The artist made his name with brutal portrayals of Glasgow down-and-outs and hardmen, as well as a naked depiction of the singer, Madonna.
He has now been diagnosed with a form of ‘dystonic tremor’, a condition which affects an estimated 70,000 people in the UK.
There is no cure for the disorder but minute doses of Botox help ease the symptoms when injected directly into the spasming muscles to block nerve transmissions.
He said of the surprise setback: ‘It’s been a bit worrying but I’m trying to make the best of it. One of the things I’ve had to do is change the way I hold my paint brush and write.
‘Ironically, I have a complete aversion to all kinds of cosmetic treatments and surgery so it’s quite funny that I’ve had to turn to Botox injections in my wrist to allow me to continue my work.’
Jokingly, he added: ‘At least my hand is looking good!’
The artist, who lives in Glasgow, admitted he had been working 20-hour days for a number of months as he prepared a series of large-scale canvases and smaller panels f or his f i ve- week- l ong Prophecy exhibition in New York, opening May 3.
The final pieces – which include a huge 72x96 oil on canvas which lends its name to the show – will be shipped off to the United States at the beginning of next month.
He added: ‘Lack of sleep and long hours when I’m working for an exhibition are nothing new. It goes hand in hand.
‘But this was suddenly something different and the tremors and cramping in my right hand were making it increasingly difficult to write and to hold a brush.
‘I’d be working on an intricate part of a painting, like an eye, and the brush would slip and cause a streak. I thought at first it might be Parkinson’s, and, of course, I’m relieved it isn’t. But it was a worry for a while and I knew I needed to get to the bottom of it.’
Howson, who was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2009, was the official war artist – commissioned by the Imperial War Museum – in the 1993 Bosnian Civil War.
He has been treated for drink and drug addiction and depression in the past and was diagnosed with the autistic spectrum disorder Asperger’s syndrome nine years ago.
Today, he is one of the world’s most collected living artists.
His work hangs on the walls of galleries and museums and in the homes of A-list stars, such as Jack Nicholson, Madonna and the late David Bowie, who struck up a friendship with Howson after buying two of his paintings depicting the Bosnian conflict.