Why am I drawn to painting nature scenes I sometimes ask myself? I have always loved animals and the countryside. From my earliest memories we played outside and ran round the fields of Adel near our house. As a family, had pets galore - a very naughty Beagle, three cats, a tortoise, rabbit, mice and hamsters! I loved drawing and painting them even as a child.
In those days our parents encouraged (insisted!) in being outdoors in the morning and didn’t expect us back till tea time. So there was plenty of time to explore the local countryside.
As I get older nature draws me in, never failing to inspire me by its colours, textures and atmosphere. I have to get out there and paint, paint, paint! I have been lucky enough in my career to have been asked to be Artist-in-Residence at RHS Harlow Carr where I painted 12 paintings - one for each month over the course of a full year just using nature to paint with. I was asked to become the Resident Artist in 2018 after demonstrating how I paint with fallen twigs, leaves and moss instead of paint brushes. That tenure allowed me to develop my painting technique and I have since gone on to paint other famous gardens, the local landscapes incorporating animals.
I have a special affinity with painting animals and wildlife, it’s the texture of the fur I love creating, their eyes and expressions.
Beautiful autumn colouring this year inspired me to capture the cherry trees on the stray in Harrogate - slightly windy conditions made the outdoors challenging but well worth the effort - !
Had a fabulous time at the gardens of Monet in the tranquil village of Giverny. Made all the more exciting when a massive storm hit the village the evening we arrived - ended up eating my Sea Bass in a plate full of rainwater..... as the restaurant got deluged!
Peter Bowerman
Author