Meet Allison Bowman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Bowman.

Hi Allison, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I was born in Manhattan, Kansas in 1996 and lived there until I graduated college. I grew up surrounded by the Flint Hills, which I credit to my love of plants and nature. I remember walks on the Konza Prairie with my family and friends. They were always a time of discovery, whether it be learning about native plants or local wildlife.

I went to college at Kansas State University and graduated in December of 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a Concentration in Painting. I had always been an art kid, from when I was little all through school. When it came time to pick a degree, Art was the only thing that made sense to me and I decided to pursue my passion. At K-State I really delved deeply into my artwork and tried to find my voice. I am a pretty introverted person, so college was tough for me. I actually started college at Fort Hays State University but I ended up dropping out. I was struggling with mental health issues and was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression.

During my time at K-State, I was trying to deal with the fact that I had to drop out of school, I felt like a failure. I started going to therapy and that is where I started using painting as a tool to cope with anxiety and depression. I combined my love of nature and art as a means of escape to create the abstracted environments I paint today, which I call Sacred Spaces.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like I said before, I had (and still have) struggles with mental illness. When I was at Fort Hays State I just don’t think I was prepared for that much change all at once. I was only about two and a half hours from home, but for some reason, I felt like I was completely separated from my previous life. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep.

It just became a very unhealthy situation that I didn’t know how to cope with. I saw the school counselor and then the campus doctor to try to get some help. She gave me two options, which looking back I realize were very all or nothing options. She said she could prescribe me Valium to try to make it through the days, or I could move back home. I packed up my dorm that day, dropped out of school, and drove home.

I struggled for a long time with whether that was the right decision or not, but I’ve learned to live with it. For the past six or so years, I’ve used painting as a means to keep me going as well as share with people that they can use art as a tool and that there is hope.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My paintings are typically pretty large-scale and I use acrylic and sometimes oil paint. My studio is in my home and I don’t have ventilation currently, so I don’t use oil as often as I’d like. My paintings are botanical themed with lots of color and pockets of light and dark. I also love painting commissions for people. I typically ask for a color palette and any specific plants they want me to include. I’ve done some based off of wedding bouquets, or plants that remind people of loved ones. People can inquire about commissioned paintings on my website contact page.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
This relates more to my work, but something new happened over COVID (last spring) the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Johnson County and I took up the roles as Co-Captains of Arts Advocacy for the state of Kansas for Americans For The Arts.

They are a national arts organization dedicated to advocating for the arts and talking with state and federal legislators to support the arts. People who know me and don’t know this might be surprised because this isn’t something I ever thought I would be capable of doing. But I’ve been learning so much and have found out that I’m very passionate about this.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.allisonbowman.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/amaranthineartist
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/amaranthineartist