Sallie Bowen
3225 Keokuk St.
Butte, Mt. 59701

Tel (406)-494-3612
Email: sbowen@montana-artist.com
Website: http://www.montana-artist.com/

 

   To participate in art is to celebrate life. Our short existence on this earth demands that we give full attention. Being an artist is both an honor and a responsibility to spend time wisely in producing the best work.

    I have been painting for most of my life. Subject matter comes from my own experiences, travel, sketches, and recollections. Many of the paintings evolve and go through many changes. At times the transformation is a slow process, and at others, can marvelously "flow" from one stage to another with little effort. I am always surprised that something- the visual imagery- can come from "nothing" , or no preconceived idea. Oftentimes, color is arbitrary, giving the work a more personal touch. Shapes come out of negative spaces and these "found shapes" must work with the "internal logic" of the paintings. Paintings such as the thistle series, “Yucca”,  “Ouch”, as well as “Cabbage Patch” and “Ground Cover” have followed this process and have been infinitely more rewarding in their creation  than simply illustrating and working from photographs.

I feel most at ease when sketching or painting on location or in my studio. I love teaching drawing and painting, as well. To spend time as an artist is such a privilege and an honor, that I cannot imagine any other calling for my life.  

I was able to go to Japan last November-December 2006-it fulfilled a life-long dream. I was contacted by a friend that I went to school with - first grade through high school and then didn't have any contact with since high school graduation...40 years! She teaches Japanese in a college in Minnesota .  

We went to Kyoto and based ourselves there...then took the bullet train to Kagoshima and Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu. I painted on site, as well as visited many art museums, Japanese gardens, temples and shrines...

Winterplum2.JPG (62201 bytes)
"Winter Plum"
26 1/2"x19"

My September show in Butte at the Main Stope Gallery was "From West to East...and Back Again," which was about Japan, as well as places in New Mexico, Montana and imaginary landscapes.  I've also been invited to show at the Kumamoto Plaza in Helena (sister city to Kumamoto) from Nov 9 thru the end of December downtown on Last Chance Gulch.

Evening Cast.jpg (72607 bytes)
"Evening Cast"
CollWaters.JPG (103080 bytes)
"Cold Waters"

Sesshu'sgarden.jpg (97856 bytes)
"Sesshu's Garden" 
(alias "Rite of Purification")

PeckingOrder.JPG (113901 bytes)
"Pecking Order"


SoloYellow..jpg (74634 bytes)
"Solo Yellow"

2006 MTWS 
Watermedia entry

Northwest Watercolor Society's Open Exhibition Spring, 2007


"Rippling Hills, Shining River"
20"x29"

Sallie Bowen  Awards: 

1999  President's Award, Montana Watercolor Society National Juried show, Bigfork, Montana

1997  Napa Valley  Merchandise Award, Montana Interpretations, Butte Silver Bow Arts Chateau, Butte, Montana

1994  BEST OF SHOW in Watercolor, Meadowlark Art Review, Helena Art Center, Helena, Mt.

1992  2nd Place, Montana Interpretations Show, Montana Institute of Art, Butte Silver Bow Arts Chateau, Butte, Mt.

1991, 86, Elected to Selection Jury, Montana Watercolor Society  National Juried Shows

1990  Painting selected for the 1991" Northwest Artists Calendar"

1990  Selected for the book cover, Season of Dead Water, 
        Helen Frost editor, Breitenbush Pub., Portland, Or.

1990  "Celebrate Montana Award," Regional Competition of Montana  Institute of the Arts, Bozeman, Mt.

1989   Merit Award, Corbin Art Center Regional Juried  Exhibition, Corbin Art Center, Spokane, Wa.

1987  Honorable Mention, National Coastal Juried Show, St. Simons Island, Ga.

1986  Elected to the Permanent Collection, Montana Institute Art

1986  Chosen to Paint Easter Egg for the White House Easter Egg Roll.
          Now in Permanent Collection of Smithsonian Institute, Wash. D.C.

1986  Mobil Easel Merit Award, Louisiana Watercolor Society Show, New Orleans, Louisiana

1985  Elected to Montana Watercolor Society Signature Member

1985  Juror's Award of Excellence, Art in the Park Juried Show,  Great Falls, Mt.

1983  1st Place, Soroptimist Juried Show, Dillon, Mt.

1980  Merit Award, "Montanascapes," M.I.A. State Juried Show,
        Yellowstone Art Center, Billings, Mt. (Traveled to Wash. D.C.)

1977  Best of Show, M.I.A. Juried Show, Butte, Mt.

Education:

1998  One month Painting Working in Turkey

1995  One month Painting Workshop in Greece, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore

1994  Painting Workshop in Provence, Atelier Safranier,  Antibes, France

1992  Painting Workshop in Brittany, France

1989 & 1990 Independent sketching & watercolor in Wales, U.K.

1988  One month watercolor workshop at La Romita School of Art, Terni, Italy

1985 Two month internship in Chinese landscape painting, calligraphy
        Zhejiang Academy of Fine Art, Hangzhou, PRC. Program sponsored by the U. of Minn, Duluth, Minnesota

1975  B.A. Fine Art, M.S. Education, Eastern Montana College, Billings, Mt.

1968: B.A.  Art History, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois

1967‑68  Art Classes, Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois

1966: Semester Study: Art history & French, University of Dijon, France


 

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