Howard Heath was born in Boulder, Colorado on October 2, 1879. He completed three years of high school at Fort Collins, Colorado. He attended Colorado Springs Art School, Denver Art School, Art Institute of Chicago, Art Students League in New York, and took private painting and sketch lessons. Heath worked for the Chicago Tribune and did a number of book illustrations. He was a member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists in New Canaan, Connecticut.

 Before joining the WPA Federal Arts Project, Heath worked for the Public Works of Art Project. He began his work for the WPA in November of 1935 and completed 192 easel paintings and two murals. One of his most timely contributions to the project was a series of watercolors on the construction of the Merritt Parkway which was underway at that time. His work was allocated to Westport Town Hall, Washington, D.C., Connecticut School for Boys, Stratford High School, New Britain High School, Colony Street School in Wallingford, Windham County Temporary Home, Stamford Town Hall, Office of Public Works Commissioner in Hartford, Monroe Elementary School, Long Lane Farm, Fairfield State Hospital, Middlesex County Temporary Home, Windham County Temporary Home, Uncas on the Thames, County Commissioner’s Office in Middletown, Manchester Public School, Cedarcrest Sanatorium, Laurel Heights Sanatorium, Whittlesey Avenue School in Wallingford, Central High School in Bridgeport, Horace Hurlbutt School in Weston, Westport Court Room, Fort Wright on Fisher’s Island, NY, and the Nathan Hale School in Moodus. Heath passed away in 1969 in Westport.

 Sources: WPA Artist’s Work Card; WPA Biography; Fielding’s Dictionary of American Painters (1986), p. 390; Who Was Who in American Art (1985), p. 272; AskART; Social Security Death Index