Day 283: First Friday Feature: Anthony Bowes

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Jul 3

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The first time I met Anthony Bowes was a few years back at a book signing. His art was displayed at the venue of the book signing and I was amazed at how much talent he had. This First Friday Feature is a little different from the ones before, but only because of the medium being covered, the art is just as wonderful and deserves the highest of praise. Continue reading below to find out more about the painter Anthony Bowes.

Artist Head Shot

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

My name is Anthony Bowes, and I am a fine artist living in Richmond Virginia. My art is an obsession that I don’t believe I could live without. I am really into self development, fitness, and helping others.

2. What go you started as an artist?

I’ve grown up making art like most kids throughout grade school, but I really started to take it more serious when I painted a portrait of a fallen state trooper and I gave it to his family back in 2017. Their reaction was humbling. It was a major wake up call for me that made it clear that I was doing something right.

3. Describe your workflow, what is unique about your process?

Although this answer is not sexy to most, I am a huge believer in self discipline. I believe that hard work, and trial and error are the solutions to most problems. I have gone about my “workflow” in the same way; figuring out what works best for me, and continuing to tweak that to suit my needs and changing interests. That means prioritizing learning and practice in my life each day. ESPECIALLY on the days I don’t feel like it. I try my best not to become overly concerned with the way other people operate, so I am not entirely sure what makes my process unique besides that fact that I know what works best for me personally.

Lake Margaret Falls
12 x 24 inch
Oil on Canvas

4. What do you enjoy most about creating?

When it comes to art, I am extremely attracted to the idea that I can always improve. I think anything that can be mastered will become stagnant and boring. I am very excited to know that I will always have something new to learn, and the more I learn about art, the more beauty I will readily see in everyday life. In short, I enjoy creating because there is endless opportunity to improve.

5. What accomplishment in your artistic career do you feel the proudest of?

In my artistic career I don’t have an individual accomplishment that I am most proud of. I am most proud of all of the pieces that I know I gave everything I had into making the best I possibly could.

6. What equipment do you use?

I am always at some kind of easel, whether it’s my more permanent studio easel, or a portable tripod type easel when I’m on the go. When it comes to the materials I use, I’m always on the hunt for the best quality I can find and afford. Brushes, canvas, paints, paint thinners, mediums, stretcher strips, grounds, staples and tacks etc. When I go to buy a product myself, I not only expect it to work as advertised, but I expect it to be made of high quality materials and that it won’t break or have problems. It’s always a huge disappointment when a product does not perform. In turn, I know my collectors expect the same from me. Therefore I believe it’s my personal responsibility to deliver the highest quality product I can using the absolute best quality materials available.

7. Is there a certain theme you try to express in your work? Why do you feel a need to share that? What do you hope people will take away from your art?

I’ve been enjoying an idea that I have a unique opportunity as an artist to bring to light the subtle beauty that is more difficult to see with the untrained eye. For example, the color of a shadow in relation to an area in light, or if a near black color exists in a landscape is it more red, blue, or yellow instead of just “black.” As an artist it’s my job to notice the nuances of color and the details that are easily over looked. Although I can pick apart any painting I’ve ever done and point out all the mistakes, I would say that any painting of mine that communicates an idea to the viewer would be a success. I hope the viewer takes away a greater appreciation for the world around him/her.

8. Where do you find inspiration?

I find my inspiration in the selfless actions of others, the subtle and sometimes grand beauty of nature, and the feeling I get when I know I’ve given my all towards achieving a goal.

9. Out of your paintings, which is your personal favorite and why?

My personal favorite painting is of Wiz Khalifa and his son Sebastian. What I like about a work of art is constantly changing, but this piece has maintained my respect because of the shear amount of patience and painstaking detail that I know it took to complete it.

Wiz and his son Sebastian
36 x 48 inches
Oil on Canvas

10. What is the biggest piece of advice you have ever been given? What advice would you give your younger self, the you who has just started creating?

The best advice I have ever received is that Success is not a point that is reached, it’s in the process. I never understood the weight of the cliché until I reached multiple goals that I thought would make me happy only to find myself bored soon after. Realizing this has allowed me to take great pleasure in doing my best each day knowing that’s all one can really ask for. If I could give myself advice back when I had just started, it would have been “the more concerned we become over things we can’t control, the less we will do with the things we can control.”