Local artist Peter Bowman, who had attended several gatherings of Memphis Urban Sketchers, passed away last Friday.
Peter's sketches always amazed me - his mark-making was bold and purposeful, and his sketches always seemed like fully-formed paintings. For that reason I always show examples of his sketches when I teach sketching classes.
Peter was a teacher himself for many years. My first encounter with him was when I was still in college at University of Memphis, and in a professional practices class Bob Lewis, in his wisdom, sent me to talk to Peter about what it means to live as an artist. Peter gave me some advice that I think helped shape my own living as an artist: be the kind of artist that works with your temperament. For him, at that time, it meant teaching during the day, spending time with his family, and painting later in the evenings. I knew that my temperament would require me to work full time, and hearing his advice made it okay for me to do that and still be an artist.
Here are some sketches that Peter made with us over the years. We will miss him!
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Peter's supplies: old markers and highlighters in a ziploc bag. |
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Peter's work at our exhibit at ANF Architects. |