In more recent years his work has exhibited strong religious themes which some say is linked to the treatment of his alcoholism and drug addiction at the Castle Craig Hospital in Peebles in 2000, after which he converted to Christianity.

[9] An example of this is Judas (2002) which "...is a key work from the series of paintings conveying the artist's decline into and recovery from alcohol and drug addiction and his new found faith in Christianity.

"His work has appeared in other media, with his widest exposure arguably for a British postage stamp he did in 1999 to celebrate engineering achievements for the millennium.

[11] In addition his work has been used on album covers by Live (Throwing Copper),[12] The Beautiful South (Quench)[13] and Jackie Leven (Fairytales for Hardmen).

[18] With a remarkably acute focus, the film follows the creation of Howson's painting Prophecy, its exhibition and sale, as it travels from the artist's studio in Glasgow to New York, before returning to London to enter the collection of a private buyer.

[19] In May 2023 the Edinburgh City Art Centre gave Howson a major retrospective exhibition of over 100 of his paintings after four years of planning.