Winner at Plein Air Easton

"Talbot County Landscape" (16x20) Second Place Winner

I just returned from Plein Air Easton in Easton, Maryland where 58 artists painted for a week in some pretty extreme weather. It wasn't quite as hot as last year's event, but upper 90's with high humidity was still exhausting. Last year I blogged (whined) about my gear being lost by Fed Ex for the first 2 days of the event, then sleeping on the airport floor in North Carolina where I was stranded on the way home, but I still had a good time... Anyway, seeing old friends, meeting new ones and staying with my host family, the Tremain's was a great return treat, and taking home the Second Place prize with several sales was icing on the cake...beautiful country and great fun -- can't wait til next year!

False Emancipation...

 "False Emancipation" (18x24)

 (detail)

 (detail)

  Initial Sketch (9x12)

Happy Independence Day...

Laundry Day

 "Laundry Day" (24x30)

June 22nd is the opening of this years Oil Painters of America National Exhibition in Evergreen Colorado. I am very grateful the painting above was accepted into the show -- it is part of a series I've been working on depicting common, everyday household chores, and the unsung hero of home labor...

My own mom was one of those -- she worked a 40 hour a week job, plus the equivalent of another one raising my brother and me.

(detail)

 I wanted to bring attention to the beauty of this kind of subject and stop time for a moment to appreciate what otherwise gets little to no coverage at the end of the days news. Artists have for centuries of course depicted this kind of genre, and it never gets old. I think that's because like a good landscape, we can all relate to it -- it's a fact of life (especially to the middle and lower classes)...

sketch (9x12)

Above is one of several sketches made in planning "Laundry Day".  Being mindful of a chore most people don't get too excited about also called for some upbeat colours to combat the possibility of what could be a depressing scene.  I kept the bright colour relegated to the figure only; as a focal point and to convey that although the beauty is inherent in what she is doing, the source of the beauty emanates from her alone...

(detail)

I was fortunate to have a family friend pose for me with my mother-in-laws antique ironing board and iron. This gave me opportunity to make a connection to the past with this subject, and remind us of the not-too-distant crude technology people suffered with...

I was also fortunate to have the mother I did, and until I painted this, I never thought about the beauty in those thank worthy yet thankless jobs she performed all those years...but it was certainly there, every time.

Reassembled Man

 No.4

 I promised a while back that I would post some more of these quick figure oil sketches -- Here are a few; fun practice if you move quickly, keep the strokes spontaneous and don't fuss them too much...14x11" (cropped).

 No.14

 No.9

 No.16

No.11

Cuisinart

It Says Here... (16x20)

(Detail)

Last month my wife and I went to a local fine dining restaurant for our anniversary. The food was fabulous, but so was the kitchen which was in open view to the restaurant patrons. I was so intrigued by the action there that I asked the manager if I could come back and take a few reference photos to paint from...

Five Spice Kitchen (16x20)

  (Detail)

He was very obliging and told me I was welcomed to any time, so I came back the very next week and these are the results... I've seen other artists do this subject matter before of course, but everyone has their own approach and style. What I enjoyed most are the abstract patterns you get with all the stainless steel in the background with the ovens, fridge, and counter tops -- lots of information to interpret loosely.

Finishing Touch (12x16)

I'd like to do more of this subject -- most everyone can relate to good food and restaurants, even if they only experience it once a year like us (darn economy).

Bon Appetit! 

Fast and Furious

 No. 1

These oil sketches were done very quickly (approx 15 - 45 minutes a piece) on paper as skin temperature exercises...subtly shifting and exaggerating the warm and cool to create more interest and help aid me in my figure work.  I did about 4 of them a day -- each one is approximately 14 x 11" and were referenced from either photos or previous pencil sketches.  I have more that I will post at a later date...

No. 2

No. 3

 

No. 5

No.6 

 No. 7

No. 8

 

 No. 15

Happy Holidays!

 

Dancer at Rest (30x24) o/c

  Well, the end of another year has arrived, and they just seem to keep coming faster...  No matter -- I am still here and enjoying my life and family now more than ever.  I want to wish any and all who periodically check this blog the best of everything -- happiness, peace and good health in the coming year, and to those of you who paint & create, much success in your endeavors.  
Stay true to yourselves, love your neighbor and ditto on all the following salutations:


"Live long and prosper" -- Spock
"Be well and do good work" -- Garrison Keillor
"May all your wildest dreams come true" -- Pedro Sanchez
"Take care polar bear" -- Lily Bowman (age 6)


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!

Eric Bowman

Temple of the Pacific

"Temple of the Pacific" (24x36)

This piece was done from a couple of plein air sketches I did earlier this year, above a little cove on the north end of Boiler Bay (just north of Depot Bay, OR).  I've painted here under different conditions and times of day, always returning for it's classic Pacific Northwest character, but having an entirely different experience every time...

Living where I do (approximately one and a half hours from the beach) it's unpredictable what you're going to find there.  From here you have to traverse the coast range of mountains, and you never know what's going to greet you on the other side... Could be a clear, cloudless day from home to the horizon, but rounding that last curve of tall pines may reveal a thick fog bank obscuring the ocean altogether.  

Or, an overcast gray day at home could fool you from perfect conditions awaiting at the beach.  One thing I have become accustomed to though, is learning to accept what I find, no matter the weather (barring hard rain).   Of course back home in the controlled environment of the studio, I could take any time necessary to expand upon my outdoor sketches (which I did) -- and that's a good thing, as I believe every painting should be markedly different from any other -- even if it's a painting of a painting...inspired by a previous painting.