Artist's Statement

I began painting in the 70's, while living in the Western United States. Inspired by the terrain and wide-open spaces, my paintings depict my love of the area. After being away from many years, I returned in 2000 to study the "High Sierra" and the desert in order to rekindle my ongoing passion for the mountains.

In the beginning, I spent several years painting as a realist. After studying professionally and exploring new techniques, my work took on a higher dimension.

In studying all mediums, I like to think I have my own style. Others have described my work as both "abstract expressionist" and "impressionist."

I settled into watercolor in the 80's, using a technique of painting almost exclusively with a palette knife, exploring different papers, canvas, and other painting surfaces. My body of work is quite eclectic, with watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media as my main focus.

My work is often mistaken for oils, since my work surface of choice is illustration board. I moved into acrylics and mixed media in the 90's. In 2000, I explored murals and was commissioned for one in Reno, Nevada. Since then, commission work for Nevada landscapes has been my passion.

Whether I'm painting a floral, landscape, or abstract, I often like to use pure, bold colors, with a value system from the beginning to the end of the spectrum. I like to invite the viewer to share my adventuresome, creative spirit.

Norma Fowler