Ask Eric Bowman what he does for fun, when he isn’t painting and you might get a long, slightly self-conscious silence, followed by this sheepish admission: “When I’m not painting, I’m thinking about painting.”

Bowman spends long days in his backyard studio in northwest Oregon, patiently creating richly textured oil paintings in a style he describes as “not as tight as realism, but not as abstract as impressionism.” Sometimes he paints figures, sometimes he paints landscapes, and occasionally he does a still life.

On the rare days Bowman feels uninspired, he attends to the busywork that goes along with being an in-demand artist. Travel and family time also factor into Bowman’s creative rhythms. He’s looking forward to a trip to Europe with his wife Debbie in honor of a milestone anniversary, and he’s keenly aware of his 11-year-old daughter’s swiftly advancing childhood.

Eric Bowman

Night Brings Good Counsel
Oil
16″ x 20″
“This is another composition made up from plein air drawings in my sketchbook. The title comes from an old saying that speaks to the fact that sleep can often clear one’s mind and bring solution by morning.”

Eric Bowman

Autumn Veil
Oil
24″ x 30″
“This painting personifies the changing of the seasons. I chose to keep the rider anonymous, as he emerges from the shadows, creating a sense of mystery, moving beneath the canopy of fall foliage.”