Mary Bowen

Venue

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Venue Facilities

Artist statement

Mary Bowen’s paintings are inspired by the woodlands and wild spaces of the moors. Working from her Dartmoor studio, her gestural layers and marks explore the open expanses and seasons of the environment on the moors. Her paintings are an invitation to look further and enquire deeper - from arcs on the horizon to the detail of ancient lichen on granite tors.

Extended Bio

Drawn to the wild spaces of Dartmoor, Mary Bowen creates paintings that are centered around the sensory experience of the forests and environment of the moors. The layers of the landscape, the changes in atmosphere, light and weather throughout the seasons. Her paintings are moments recorded, an invitation to look further and enquire deeper - zooming out to the wide open spaces and shapes on the horizon or zooming in to the detail of ancient lichen on mossy granite. “I am interested in recording the fragility of the natural landscape, and draw deeply from the sensory experiences I have in it. I am fascinated by the forests of Dartmoor and in particular the distribution of Lichen, it’s fascinating role as a bio-indicator of environmental conditions - helping to track climate change and geological events.” Working from her Dartmoor studio on a nature reserve in the Teign valley, her paintings are deeply inspired by the ancient woodlands and habitats that surround her. Her practice is about paying attention to the subtleties of the natural world and recording that experience in paint. Her ideas are often developed using drawing and mono-print techniques (brushwork, rubbing, wiping then printing on a small press) and then progress into larger scale paintings on to board and canvas. After achieving a BA(hons) in Fine Art at the University of Falmouth Mary has worked as an artist, printmaker and teacher for the last 15 years.