On the first Saturday of every month, the Greater Ithaca Art Trail hosts dozens of local artists, allowing the public to visit studios, enjoy great artwork, and ask questions of the artists themselves. After reading through the profiles of the forty-three artists, I thought that it was remarkable how many artists there were in Ithaca, each with their own unique style. On Saturday, July 6, I was lucky enough to visit two studios, coming away inspired and impressed by what I learned.
When I arrived at the studio of artists Mary Ann and Steve Bowman, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself at a cheerful dual studio filled with colorfully decorated figures, clay statues, and imaginative multimedia canvases on every wall. With large windows letting light into the rooms, bright flowers lining the drive, and every statue, sculpture, and canvas placed carefully in its place, the Bowman studio was refreshing and inviting in every way.
Ms. Bowman’s wing of the studio was filled with whimsical statues made from a combination of clay and wood. Some were made from chicken wire with fabric hardened by glue overtop to create a ruffled effect. All of her clay pieces were hand-sculpted using a kiln located in a side room. Although all of her statues are one-of-a-kind, my favorite was a statue of a clay frog sitting atop a box and fishing. Just by talking to Ms. Bowman, it was clear that she found joy in not only her work but the joy it brought to people, adding that putting a frog on a shelf could really brighten anyone’s day. Ms. Bowman, having spent nearly all of her life as an artist, lets her imagination take over to create fun and one-of-a-kind art pieces.
As I entered Mr. Bowman’s area of the studio, I found myself in the realm of digital masterpieces. Mr. Bowman works with nearly five hundred applications to create images stretched into a circle or warped in any way imaginable. Throughout his career as an artist, Mr. Bowman’s work has taken a variety of forms, blending woodwork, painting, and photography. From colorful wooden flowers popping out of canvases to multimedia canvases highlighting both painting and photography, each work creatively uses different mediums of art in ways that I had never even considered. Mr. Bowman’s studio also includes a gigantic printer, which he uses in his art and also in a small printing business.
Feeling inspired but still curious, I left the bright Bowman studio and ventured to downtown Ithaca, where I visited Barbara Mink’s studio. In the pouring rain, I braved my way to the entrance, rushing past a well-trimmed and charming garden into a cozy yet professional show studio featuring Mink’s art. Right away, I was intrigued by her vibrant abstract canvases and was excited by her energy and enthusiasm. As I observed her paintings, I was struck by the intricacy within the abstract. As someone who normally focuses on realistic painting, taking a moment to look at Ms. Mink’s work made me realize the many underlying complexities of abstract paintings. Ms. Mink explained that some of the techniques she often uses require more than one type of paint — oil, watercolor, acrylic and sometimes also colored ink for added texture. Offering words of wisdom, Ms. Mink said that the best way to improve at painting is simply to keep doing it. She explained her beginnings as a painter, learning to paint the basics to prove to herself that she could do it. From there, she moved on to landscapes and then removed the horizon from the painting, letting her imagination take her where it would. Many of her paintings take on the hint of a landscape, while still providing enough abstract to let your imagination take you anywhere.
While the Mink and Bowman studios were quite different, each of the artists’ styles and ideas left me with something to ponder and to potentially even try in my own art. Having lived in Ithaca almost all of my life, I was amazed to discover the world of artists living not far from my own house. There are many options for all tastes, and each of the featured artists is welcoming and excited to talk about their work. To anyone who hasn’t paid a visit to a studio, I highly recommend spending part of a Saturday afternoon on the Ithaca Art Trail.
