LARA BOWEN
INSPIRATION
A tangle of blooms, a snippet of blue sky, a shard of strong sunlight and the short-lived relationship between a favourite mug and a collection of spring blooms. Plants, flowers and organic forms are my go-to visual language but as a metaphor for the passing of time and as an investigation of personal experiences and memory.
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My work explores the tick-tock of existence, time passing, how our memories work, the changes in seasons, and how things make us feel. Above all, I am inspired by the joy I find in colour, light, and nature.
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Much of my time is spent thinking about painting, taking photos, and walking. I sketch and take photos in gardens, beside lakes, and rock pools, watching shadows move as the sun shifts. Hunting shards of sunlight and snippets of blue skies between the tangle of growth. These represent all of life. The above and the underneath; reflected and shaded; the crystal clear and murkier, more confusing things. ​
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PROCESS
My studio is in an old mews in Hove which is beautifully cool in the summer but ice-cold in winter when I paint the memories of warmer months. It's like attempting to magic summer sunshine with paint.
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Using sketches, collages, or photos as a starting point I use inks, oils, wax, and drawing media to build layers of texture, mark, and colour. Sometimes I remove entire sections of work to reveal the ghost of those marks, only to then work into them again.
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I play music when I paint. Female singer-songwriters feature heavily in my playlists and lyrics sometimes find their way onto the canvas during underpainting or in the naming process.
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MOVING ON
The lockdown years were a big reset. Other creative projects were born during that time but they were concepts, When I returned to my studio it felt like I was starting again.
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These concepts have fed back into my paintings. My work has the same inspiration as always, but a more abstract approach has developed. These paintings have a different energy. They are bolder, looser, and happier. They're about being in the moment and trying to capture joy.
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I feel a new freedom and confidence in my practice. I use different media and application methods. I play more upbeat music. Louder. I dance. I experiment. I enjoy!
My studio is in an old mews in Hove which is beautifully cool in the summer but ice-cold in winter when I paint the memories of warmer months. It's like attempting to magic summer sunshine with paint.
​
Using sketches, collages, or photos as a starting point I use inks, oils, wax, and drawing media to build layers of texture, mark, and colour. Sometimes I remove entire sections of work to reveal the ghost of those marks, only to then work into them again.
​
I play music when I paint. Female singer-songwriters feature heavily in my playlists and lyrics sometimes find their way onto the canvas during underpainting or in the naming process.
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ABOUT
I studied at Hastings College of Art and Oxford Brookes University, graduating in 1993. My training was multi-disciplinary so I am comfortable communicating visually across a range of media. I took a sabbatical as Communications Officer at the Students Union and was involved with organising events , thus expanding my skill set and opening my horizons.
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I moved to Cyprus in 1993 where I taught art at school level, learned how to work in stained glass, and enjoyed four years of life in another culture.
Returning to Brighton & Hove in the late 1990's, I studied Arts Management at Sussex University and set up my gallery. Since 2020 I have worked with emerging and established artists, championing their work alongside developing my own practice. I am a trained mentor and a large part of my work involves guiding emerging artists on their path.
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I regularly exhibit across the UK at art fairs and galleries and welcome visitors to my studio and gallery space in Hove.
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Visitors are welcome Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays from May to October and by appointment in the colder months.
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A selection of my work can be found with the following galleries: