Artist Interview: Kelly Gowan
What are your earliest memories related to art?
My earliest memories are of my dad painting. He did amazing oils like his mom, and gorgeous pen and inks. Our home was always filled with my dad and Grandmas art as well as my sisters who is also an amazing artist with a true eye for color. Then in college I did a huge watercolor turtle and fell in love with the process. But life got in the way, and I did not make time for myself to paint again until recent years.
How and when did you start becoming an artist yourself?
In college I painted a little bit, but I was always the dreamer artist. I wanted to so bad. I loved looking at art. I loved my dads paintings and drawings and for sure my sisters. I really got the most into art with my friend Kimberly. I would go to her house when our kids were hanging out and look at her paintings. What I loved most about it was what I saw in the paintings. I longed to be painting myself and expressing my own beauty and feelings through art. In 2016 I started painting and was blessed to be able to do it full time.
What was the evolution like toward finding your current voice and visual vocabulary?
The evolution has been in one sense been fast moving. Meaning I can’t believe where I am today and how many paintings I have sold as a young artist. But at the same time it has been years and looking back at how my art keeps transforming into pieces that are truly amazing you can see it really has been an evolution. I think the reason for that is growth. I keep learning new techniques by experimenting and learning from other processes.
What is your process like?
My process all depends on the type of medium and painting I am creating. But I can tell you this..it starts with a vision of what I see at the end, or what I think I want. Then begins research, inspiration, and ORDER. The order how I will make that vision come to light takes as much time as the actual painting part does.
Is there anything from your artist statement that you wish to expound on, that you normally don’t have the chance to discuss?
I do not want to ever limit myself to just one medium or style. I feel like I am an artist to my core and to me that means expressing that creativity how I want to in each painting. Therefore I have many styles and mediums to offer to various collectors. I also enjoy working on commission projects. I love going into a new home, and listening to the home owner to see what color schemes and styles they like. Because I like working with various mediums, that allows for completely unique paintings to go throughout one home.
What do you try to control in your surfaces, and what do you leave to chance?
I just depends on the painting medium and style I am doing. The chance is in every painting…but a directed chance.
Where do you see your work going from here?
I see my work truly elevating and continuing to get better and larger. All the experimenting I do with my processes allows me to alter and better the art I am creating. To reach new levels.