DOROTHY BUNNY BOWEN       
www.db-bowen.com            
505-867-2731
 
Bowen grew up in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. Originally an oil painter, she earned a B.A. in Art from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Virginia and studied printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, as well as lithography at the University of New Mexico.

She holds an M.A. in Art History from UNM, writing her thesis on Navajo Pictorial Weaving. She was a research associate in Spanish Colonial Textiles at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. After ten years with MOIFA, a major exhibition was mounted and several articles by the artist were published in the catalogue, THE SPANISH TEXTILE TRADITION OF NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO.

In 1974 she and husband Leland bought land in Placitas, moving here with two young children in 1975. She continued to work as a painter but concentrated more on wood carving.

In 1980, Bowen was introduced to batik by Australian Jeffery Service at the Placitas Elementary School. She has been working professionally in wax resist ever since, and has exhibited her work around the US in numerous juried shows with awards.

Serving as registrar for the World Batik Conference in Boston in 2005, Bowen connected with other batik artists around the world. She has studied with master teachers in Japan, Bali, and Malaysia, where she was twice invited to speak at the Kuala Lumpur International Batik Convention.

Bowen recently reconnected with her early training in painting and now works also in the media of acrylics, ceramics, watercolor, and cold wax and oil. Her early love of wood carving has evolved into the fashioning of hangers from her junipers for some of her wax resist silk hangings and a new line of "Memory Keepers" - a combination of ceramics and polished wood.

She continues to be involved with the art community of Placitas, serving on the board of the Placitas Studio Tour and the Placitas Holiday Sale. She is also a graphic designer who specializes in websites and is a founding member of Wild Hearts Gallery.

"I began as a painter and art historian. In 1980 I discovered batik, after working as a textile research associate at the Museum of International Folk. Batik combined my love for textiles with my training as a painter. Now I’ve come full circle back to painting and wood media.

 Credo: I believe we should live lightly on this earth in absolute awe of its magnificence."

Bunny has presentations explaining her processes. View them for an even deeper appreciation of her art.
Rozome: a short demo on video
Batik on cotton
Using soy wax as an alternative