Kimberly Bowen’s journey as a western and wildlife artist began as a little girl growing up in southern California. Pencil drawings and sketches of her favorite animal, the horse, evolved into more complex watercolor and acrylic renditions in high school, where she won several local and regional awards. This would pass for her only formal artistic training, and she would spend the next twenty years as a self taught artist, honing in on a style to display her passion for animals.
Moving to Colorado in the early 1990’s was, in many ways, an awakening. Impressive landscapes and wildlife became everyday occurrences, which only increased her efforts. One sunset, thirteen years ago, she was moved and inspired by the red rocks of Moab, Utah and began experimenting with watercolor images on different forms of stone. Her first evolution was from very small pieces to the large ones she currently offers, but there have been many other evolutions as well: watercolors became acrylics, and the stones became Arizona flagstone.
She is still fiercely passionate for her horses, but has turned her attention to other animals of the west—the mountain lion, the bear and buffalo to name a few. Her style would have to be characterized as realistic through a combination of her meticulous attention to conformation and detail, a soothing and sensuous palette of earth tones, the rough stone a natural, if unconventional, medium.
Kimberly’s passion has extended to the process of creating these unique images as well. Her vision must first be married to an appropriate stone, and she will spend hours in the selection, sculpting and shaping process. From there, the stone goes to the easel for a detailed pencil drawing and then to paint. The reward for the weeks of preparation, drawing and painting, is the reaction she gets from her supporters and her many patrons to each completed piece.
Kimberly Bowen’s original work can be viewed in a few select galleries and showrooms in Colorado. She participates in several juried exhibitions throughout the year in the western United States. Her work has been featured in national publications, and graces the cover of a recently published book. She paints year round and, although her focus is on her own originals, she does do an occasional commission.
