Douglas Lex Howard (Lex) was born in Murray, Utah, to Dr. Douglas and Susan Howard. At age 7 his family moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, where his dad was in medical school at Pavlov University. Lex attended a Russian public school and learned to speak Russian, though his skills are a bit rusty today. While in Russia, Lex, his mom, and his siblings attended the St. Petersburg ballet and spent endless hours at art museums and architectural wonders. This instilled in Lex a great love of art—a passion that never left him. At age 16, he was employed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a decorative painter, doing gold leafing and decorative painting in LDS temples throughout the world—including Samoa, Newport Beach, and Nauvoo.
While serving an LDS mission, Lex decided he would no longer pursue a career with the church as it would require too much time away from the family. Instead, upon returning home he pursued business and, after a series of events, purchased his father’s business, Balance of Nature. Lex is currently CEO of the company. He finds time outside of running Balance of Nature to perfect his calligraphy, something he enjoys immensely. He is a member of the International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting. Lex was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and used calligraphy and handwriting as an inspiration to read and hone an interest in literature. He continues to be inspired by this art form today.
Lex and his wife, Aileen, have five children ages 6 months to 10 years old. They reside in beautiful St. George, Utah. Lex loves art, animals, and spending time with his family.