Vanessa Bowman was born in 1970 and the affinity for art seemingly runs in her veins, as both her father and her sister are artists, and she comes from a family with a long-standing artistic tradition. She studied at Winchester School of Art graduating in 1993 with a First Class Honours degree in Printed Textile Design. Whilst at art school Vanessa won the Eileen Bendall and the Sanderson prizes for drawing, and the Daler Rowney Young Artist award - for pastels exhibited in the Mall Galleries - two years running.
Vanessa Bowman seeks inspiration for painting from the sensual qualities of colour and pattern, found in many of her favourite sources - the magical landscape of Italy and its Classical architecture; the kaleidoscope of forms to be found in still life; the markets stalls and bazaars of Istanbul, Venice and Paris; the rich palette of an English garden. All this was instrumental to her acquiring the painterly style that underlies her present day paintings.
Each of Vanessa Bowman still life paintings observes the simple beauty of everyday objects - a moment captured in time. Whether it be a vase of garden flowers, a bowl of lemons (their acid yellow placed against the deep magenta plum), a striped shell - each is placed deliberately within the framework of the painting combining muted subtle colour with jewel-like accents. Similarly her paintings of landscapes observe the pattern and texture of the countryside around her home. Vanessa paints features left by the working of the land, punctuated by seasonal land marks - such as skeletons of trees in winter or hedgerow flowers in summer. Often detailed foregrounds of vibrantly coloured berries or hips, delicate snowdrops or cow parsley lead the eye into an intimate portrait of the Dorset landscape.
Taking inspiration from the Dorset landscape Vanessa revealed to Dorset Magazine, 'I work on board or card using oils but in a way its closer to watercolour because I thin it down quite a lot, she explains. I begin by mapping out the arrangement I want, then I do an overall wash in a neutral colour. When it comes to the actual painting I can move the paint around easily because of the smoothness of the support.'
Each painting at Red Rag is sourced from the Vanessa Bowman artist studio and like all Red Rag British art and Contemporary art it can be shipped worldwide.
Red Rag Gallery also promotes art prints by Vanessa Bowman.
Red Rag Gallery is one of the leading UK art galleries for British Art with a great selection of Sculptures for home and garden.
All contemporary and traditional sculpture art from Red Rag is sourced from living British Sculptor Artists. The sculpture gallery aims to offer both interesting and collectible sculptures from the best of today's British sculptors.
The art gallery includes British sculpture from sculptors with International reputations plus contemporary sculpture art from emerging sculptor artists.
Red Rag has a growing selection of home and office sculpture. This includes traditional small bronze figures and more contemporary bronzes. Sculpture subjects vary enormously from sculptures of hares, horses and ballet dancers to abstract sculptures. All sculptures from Red Rag are sourced from the studio of each sculptor artist.
Sculptures available at Red Rag are created from a variety of materials. Precious metals include bronzes and silver. There are also bronze resin sculptures always available. As well as bronze sculpture the gallery includes the art works of sculptors who use glass, stoneware and wood for their sculptures.
For those who want a specific sculpture for their home or the office Red Rag are also able to offer a commissioning service from a number of the gallery sculptors.
To view the sculpture art selection for each sculptor artist click on the sculpture image.
