Chris Bowman

Balance + zoom	Existent + zoom	Experience + zoom	Fortune + zoom
Genesis + zoom	Hysteria + zoom	Introspection + zoom	Ligo janu + zoom
Perspective + zoom	Right Now + zoom	Spirit + zoom	Transience + zoom
Alive + zoom	All Relative + zoom	Alone + zoom	Enlighten + zoom
Obsession + zoom	Reflecting + zoom	Under Your Spell + zoom	Arrival + zoom
Within + zoom	Masquerade + zoom	Off He Goes + zoom	Requiem + zoom
The Appearance + zoom	The Continuum + zoom	Translation + zoom

Personal Statement

I was born in the city of Calgary, Canada, in 1981. At the age of three, I left with my family to spend four years traveling through Sumatra. Later, I attended the Waldorf school in Calgary for nine years. The Waldorf method of pedagogy was founded by the artist Rudolph Steiner. Steiner believed that children should learn through their own experience. And when they do, they make learning their own endeavor, and become more interested and more alive. There, I had learned academics through the arts; and, more importantly, it empowered me at an early age to nurture my own creativity.

Along with experimenting informally for more than twenty years, the cultural diversity that I was exposed to has provided an interesting perspective by which to develop my artistic direction. In addition to being inspired by the simplicity and focus of Asian art, and Rudolf Steiner, I have been influenced by various styles, old and modern.

A major component of my paintings is the presence of a tree. I have always been fascinated by the fluxing harmonies of trees. The intricate simplicity of the forest can be a soothing experience. I see trees as they assume almost human-like characteristics, bending and swaying in conversations with the world. So, just as in music when the moment of silence before a note makes the note sound so powerful, my trees would not be as dramatic were it not for the world that surrounds them. It is inspirational to listen to the delicate clatter of rustling leaves in autumn just before they fall, or to watch a large maple tree gently sway in the breeze, or the tall grass blowing in the wind to imitate waves of the sea, or the stoic and wise presence of old redwoods overlooking the ocean. When framed by rolling hills, skies, light, and shadow, there is a constant and perfect balance to nature. It is this harmony, and its effect on the soul, that becomes the constant goal of each painting.

My painting goes through three distinct phases of creation. Initially, I plan out the composition in abstract forms from which later I can develop somewhat representational forms. Using only two colors, I cut away in simple positive and negative space. Although abstract, I do this very expressively with spontaneous and vibrant brushstrokes. Acting on impulse, my brush moves as an extension of my hand unaffected by preconceived notions of what a shape should be. There is a movement in the scene, and whether trees are seen as people, moods, or conversations, there is always a sense that there is something alive in the piece. After the form becomes fixed, I next build with luminous color, using liberal but controlled strokes of impasto paint. Finally, I add a series of brightening glazes.

I prefer that my finished work not be described as 'landscape'. Rather, it is meant to be interpreted as an abstract arrangement of forms. My goal is to abstractly express what is on my mind, but to also capture the soul. My hope is that the painting will speak to you on a primal level, and that you too will not only see the trees the way that I do, but also feel them the way that I do.

My corporate clients include: A.B. Energy Inc., Assante Wealth Management, Canaccord Capital Inc., Coast Plaza Hotels, Community First Family Practice clinics, the Dynamic Furniture Corp., Rockwell Resources Health Board of Alberta Services, the Southfork Development Group, Vault Energy Trust, and Viracocha Energy Inc.