Meet the Artist Series: Gary Bowling

1/31/2022

Meet the Artist series: gary bowling

According to Gary Bowling, "...my paintings evolved into an exploration of light and atmosphere and ideas associated with the landscape. I became particularly interested in the landscape as experienced from the highway, and features that suggested a demarcation between public and private space. More recently, I have been interested in the individual engaged in the landscape and landscape as an expression of solitude."

Gary Bowling grew up in Lamar, Missouri and received an MFA in painting and drawing from University of Arkansas. After, Bowling taught at Westmar College and was the Chairman of the Art Department for 9 years. After a stint at the Yaddo Institute in Saratoga Springs, New York, Bowling and his wife moved back to Missouri to paint full-time. Much like Monet's lily pond in Giverny, Bowling has created a lily pond on his own property in his native Missouri. His own lily pond, his life in rural Missouri, and his frequent travels to Southern France inspire much of is work.

Much like the Impressionists from the late 1800s, Bowling focuses on capturing light, reflections and the surfaces of water. He also has expressive brushstrokes, more painterly in style, which creates a visual texture that captures the viewer. With the addition of the rich color, the viewer's eyes can roam across the expansive canvases and feel like they are in the rural landscape.