Rich Bowman at Blue Gallery 2017

Nimbus Without clouds the sky would be, well, pretty damn boring. The sun would have nothing to shine upon and the moon would have nothing to gaze through. Heavens would have no gate and I would have no muse. Lifelike, uncontrollable and ever-changing, the sky and its contents have held my fascination and study for more than two decades. When I think I’ve painted every possible atmospheric combination and shape, it then proves me wrong. Suspended until it reveals another wonderment for me to paint or translate. Part of that anticipation is the draw for me, that idea of unforeseen discovery and wonderment yet to be revealed.

Mark Rothko was quoted once as saying, “A painting is not a picture of an experience; it is an experience.” This is now how I approach my painting. I don’t wait for an outside entity to cue me. I now look inward. Most of the time using my intuition and learned knowledge to guide me through a painting, all the while, anticipating the discovery. Here, through controlled and uncontrolled marks, I form my own clouds or landscapes. Some are more tangible and others are like faded memories. This inwardness has revealed many places I’ve yet experienced with my two eyes. Or has it? I often wonder. The more I paint with this attitude the more it reveals my true self. It forces me to be in the moment and not on my way to someplace for the finale. It’s also reconnected me with the way I started painting in the first place.

-Rich Bowman