Ginger Bowen knew at a very early age that she would become an artist. She taught herself to draw by copying photos out of magazines. Knowing nothing about paints, she saved stamps to buy some paper and a set of watercolor paints in tubes, then proceeded to squeeze them out as if they were oils to paint her first painting. That’s when she realized she was definitely an oil painter! She took lessons from a local artist in Amarillo, Texas once a week at age 14 and she was hooked. She was basically self-taught until, at the age of 30, she took a workshop with the great painter and teacher, Daniel Greene. Her career was off and running! She has since studied with other wonderful teachers like Kevin Macpherson, Matt Smith and Michael Albrechtson.
Ms. Bowen’s work has been featured in galleries and shows from Maui, Hawaii to New York, including the International Guild of Realism’s “Leading Masters of Contemporary Realism Exhibition in 2007 and California Art Club’s Gold Medal Exhibition in 2004. Ginger has paintings featured in three art books; “Plein Air New Mexico”, “How Did You Paint That? One Hundred Ways to Paint Landscapes, Volume 1″ and “How Did You Paint That? One Hundred Ways to Paint Still Lifes and Florals” as well as feature articles in International Artist. Most recently, Ginger was featured in Art-Talk and Southwest Art, both in 2007 as an Artist Worth Watching.
She divides her time equally between her studio doing super realistic still lifes and traveling the world painting the landscape in plein air. For her still lifes she finds old objects that people sometimes miss the beauty in, and paints them hoping to give viewers a different take, and bring about a feeling of nostalgia. She often uses a play-on-words in her titles that can impart an entirely different meaning in the painting. She paints them only from life, and life size. Her landscapes are looser and done much more quickly but show her love of the land. “I feel I have the best of both worlds. Not only am I able to paint what I see in a studio still life, but I’m able to capture what I see out in the world through my landscapes. I feel so blessed to be able to do something I love so much”.
EDUCATION:
Born in Amarillo, Texas in 1953, Ginger taught herself to paint and later studied with several artists including:
2007, 2006 Ted Nuttall, Ted Nuttall Workshops
2005 Skip Whitcomb, Scottsdale Artists’ School
2004-1985 Daniel Greene, various locations
2002 Kim English, Scottsdale Artists’ School
2001 Michael Albrechtsen, Scottsdale Artists’ School
2000 Matt Smith, Scottsdale Artists’ School
PUBLICATIONS:
2007 American Art Collector, January Issue, International Guild of Realism
2007 Art-Talk, April Issue, Artists Worth Watching
2007 Southwest Art magazine, February Issue, Artists to Watch
2006 “Plein Air New Mexico” by The Jack Richeson Fine Art Series Volume One
2004 “How Did You Paint That? One Hundred Ways to Paint Landscapes, Volume 1″ and
“How Did You Paint That? One Hundred Ways to Paint Still Life & Florals” both by International Artist.
2003 International Artist, Oct/Nov issue, Still Life & Florals Competition, Top 10 Finalist
2002 International Artist, June/July 2002, Master Painters of the World, US Showcase
EXHIBITIONS:
2007 IGOR, Third Annual Juried Exhibition, Scottsdale Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ
2007 AWA, 2007 Members Show, Le KAE Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2007 TPAPS, Minis at the Max Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2007 Arizona Museum for Youth, Toys Exhibit, Mesa, AZ
2007 SDWS 27th International Exhibition, San Diego, CA
2007 IGOR, Leading Masters of Contemporary Realism, Dennis, MA
2007 CLWAC Member & Associate Juried Exhibition, Darien, CT
2007 Richeson 75, Richeson School of Art & Gallery, Kimberly, WI
2006,2005,2002 Salon International, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2006-1991 CLWAC Annual Competitions 99th-110th, National Arts Club, NY
2006 Treasures, 4th Annual Holiday small works show, Segil Fine Art, Monrovia, CA
2006 Plein Air 2006, Keyes Gallery, Springfield, MO
2006 International Guild of Realism 2nd Annual Exhibition, Manitou Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2006 TPAPS Members Show, Northern Trust Bank, Tucson, AZ
2005 Plein Air New Mexico, Ventana Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2005 American Women Artists Juried Exhibition, Texas Art Gallery, Dallas, TX
2005 The Butler Institute of American Art Midyear Exhibition, Yougstown, OH
2005 Inside/Outside Exhibition, Herberger Theater Center, Phoenix, AZ
2005, 2003 LPAPA Artist Members Juried Exhibition, Laguna, CA
2004 CAC Gold Medal Exhibition, Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, CA
2004 TPAPS Annual Members Exhibit, Stone Avenue Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2003 Painters In Plein Air; Three women show, Lyon Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2003,2000,1999 The Best and the Brightest; Scottsdale Artists’ School, Scottsdale, AZ
2003-2001 AAPL Grand National Exhibitions
2002 CAC, Paintings Created in the Studio-Still Life and Figurative
AWARDS:
2007, Second Place, TPAPS, Minis at the Max Gallery
2007, Cash award, SDWS 27th International Exhibition
2006, Fifth Place, Plein Air 2006, Keyes Gallery
2005, Award of Merit, AWA Juried Exhibition
2004, Finalist, The Artists Magazine’s 21st Annual Competition
2003, Top 10 Finalist, International Artist Magazine Still Life and Florals Competition
2003, First Place, Professional category, The Best and The Brightest Show, SAS
2002, Finalist, The Artist’s Magazine, Art Competition
2001, Frank C. Wright Memorial Award, AAPL 73rd Grand National
2001, Honorable Mention, Fine Arts Institute, San Bernardino County Museum
1998, Purchase Pledge Award, Art Maui
1995, American Artist Professional League Award, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club
1992, Major Eugene Castner Lewis Award, 27th Central South Art Exhibition
1991, Friend of Tennesse Art League Memorial Award, Central South Art Exhibition
1989, Katherine A. Lovell Memorial Award, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club
AFFILIATIONS:
American Women Artists, signature member
California Art Club, out of state artist member
Catharine Lorilliard Wolfe Art Club, full member
International Guild of Realism, associate member
Tucson Plein Air Painters Society, associate member
COLLECTIONS:
Arizona Country Club, Phoenix, Arizona
Mike Post, TV and Movie Music composer, Burbank, California
South Central Bell - Corporate Office Building, Nashville, Tennessee
Various Other Private Collectors
