Paint Snow Hill 2016

Paint Snow Hill 2016, the short version:

Wow, this was my 10th time plein air (outdoor) painting in Snow Hill, Maryland! I took my whole crew to Ocean City for the week, so there was plenty of time for family fun between painting sessions early in the morning and during the baby’s naps. On Wednesday I took Kirk McBride’s painting workshop. And on Thursday Josh Davis’ interview with me appeared in the Bayside Gazette. By Saturday I had 8 finished paintings to show for my week. 2 of my paintings sold and 1 stayed in Snow Hill for the upcoming plein air exhibition at Bishop’s Stock Gallery in May 2016.

Paint Snow Hill 2016, the long version:

I finally figured out how to have it all: a fun-filled family vacation and a productive paint-out all at the same time. The secret was time—we went to the Eastern Shore for the entire week. That way I could go out painting at sunrise and during naptime, while still having time for the zoo, the swimming pool, a little outlet shopping, and a fabulous birthday lunch at Harborside. It was a bit too chilly and windy to spend a lot of time at the beach, but it did not slow us down.

On Wednesday I treated myself to Kirk McBride’s Plein Air Tune-Up workshop, and I’m so glad that I did. In the morning Kirk shared his best outdoor painting tips and techniques, demonstrated painting a scene in town, and got us all planning compositions and working on value studies. After lunch we drove out to George Island Landing where Kirk did another demonstration, and we each tried our hand at capturing the fishing shacks and marshland. There was so much great info packed into that day, I know that I will be digesting Kirk’s lessons for a long time.

On Thursday I achieved total world domination a modicum of local fame when Josh Davis’ interview with me about Paint Snow Hill appeared in the Bayside Gazette. (Link to the article below.)

"Climbing into the Sky" - 12"x12", acrylic, (c) Barb Mowery, 2016. Sold.

"Equestria" - 6"x12", acrylic, (c) Barb Mowery 2016. Sold.

What I have to say about the ‘Wet Paint’ Show & Sale is exactly what I say every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas: “This was the best one yet!” But every year it’s true. The Artist’s Choice Award went to PSH newbie Julie Riker for her impressive body of work. 70 artists filled the Old Firehouse on Green Street with their impressions of springtime on Delmarva, and there was an overwhelming amount of eye candy at the show. 60 artworks sold, including 2 of my paintings -- “Climbing into the Sky” and “Equestria.” A very big THANK YOU to my collectors, Kim Abplanalp and Ann Coates!

"Becoming Distinct" - 6"x12", acrylic and china marker,
(c) Barb Mowery 2016. NFS.

"Before the Birds" - 8"x8", acrylic and china marker,
(c) Barb Mowery 2016. NFS.

I came home with a new Jess Cross Davis original to add to my collection. I had a wonderful visit with dear (dare I say “old”?) friends Rebecca Garcia and Jess Lingebach and so much fun catching up with all my art buddies, my tribe--simply too many lovely people to list.

"Drinking Coffee in Peace" - 8"x8", acrylic, (c) Barb Mowery 2016.
Available through Bishop's Stock Gallery.

"Whiff of Light" - 6"x12", acrylic, (c) Barb Mowery 2016.

My painting “Drinking Coffee in Peace” stayed behind to be included in the Plein Air 2016 exhibition at Bishop’s Stock Gallery, in Snow Hill, MD. The opening reception for the show is Friday, May 6th, from 5-8pm. I will be there, and I hope to see you!

"Try to be Very Quiet" - 12"x12", acrylic, (c) Barb Mowery 2016. Sold.

"Windswept" - 7"x5", acrylic and china marker,
(c) Barb Mowery 2016. Sold.

Some links:
Kirk McBride, fine artist and painting instructor extraordinaire.
Bishop’s Stock Gallery, plein air exhibition in May.
Julie Riker, winner of 2016 Artist’s Choice Award.
“Mowery, and Paint Snow Hill, back in action this weekend,” by Josh Davis in the April 14, 2016 issue of Bayside Gazette, page 18.

Montgomery County Women's Journal

Arts Feature: Visual Echoes
August/September 2007

Tell us about yourself.
My name is Barbara Mowery, and I am originally from Ashton, in Montgomery County, MD. My husband and I moved to Ocean City, MD in 2005. Back when I was only a tourist in Ocean City, I never realized that Delmarva has a rich and thriving arts community. Now I am a member of the Worcester County Arts Council (WCAC) and the Art League of Ocean City (ALOC). Living in the center of it, my dance card could be full every week of the year: opening receptions for shows at the art leagues and private galleries, arts walks in Snow Hill, Berlin and Chincoteague, and annual events like Arts Night at Seacrets and the Arts Alive Festival…the list goes on and on. Yes, I am completely spoiled.

What is the first thing you can remember making by hand?
My fondest childhood memories involve art supplies: tempera paints, paper mache, glue, Play-Doh, and building blocks. But I mainly remember using them outside on the porch or in the yard. My mom definitely encouraged my creativity but was not a fan of art materials being tracked through the house. Now that I own carpet, I see her point.

What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?
I love repeating shapes, so I fill my paintings with visual echoes. This is probably why I’m totally inspired by vintage quilt patterns at the moment. The Library of Congress has a fantastic online collection of photos of quilters and their work. I am fascinated by the care that goes into hand quilting and the toll it takes on the hands lifelong quilters. But specific inspiration sources come and go for me. More generally I find my ideas in literature, art history, mythology, photos of family and friends, and the local landscape. And although I’m told, "Puns are the lowest form of humor," I cannot resist infusing my artwork with exaggeration, wordplay, and terrible visual puns.

What are your favorite art materials to work with?
Acrylic paints are my number one favorite material. They are the chameleons of the paint world, able to behave with the transparency of watercolor or the depth of oil, depending upon the technique the artist chooses. And yet they have a personality all their own. I love all the options that acrylics offer but tend to stick with traditional painting techniques. I also enjoy making collages out of found paper and making linoleum block prints.

Could you tell us about your paintings?
I am always asked to describe my paintings, and I always stumble on answering. If I could talk a painting, then wouldn’t I be better off as a poet? My paintings are representational, but the images are simplified. I reduce the subject to its essential elements: line, color, form, and narrative. For example, a shadow may be represented as a thick, expressive line, and an emotion may become a strong color. The finished product may look like a page from a grownup’s coloring book, but the painting process is pretty labor-intensive.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
By day I am a paralegal. By night I teach drawing and acrylic painting classes to adults in Berlin at the WCAC and in Ocean City at the ALOC. It’s challenging and fun to come up with art exercises that push my students out of their comfort zone and get them thinking about their artwork in different ways. Most of all I want my students to learn to trust themselves artistically. I post upcoming class dates and details in the News section of my website, www.bbmowery.com.

What shows or events are upcoming for you?
I am so excited to be participating in the 2007 Arts on the River Public Art Project! Arts on the River has invited artists, designers, architects, schools and other community groups from the Snow Hill, MD area to create "quilt squares" for this year's Public Art Project. My painting "Barn Raising" will be part of an assemblage of 22 artworks combined into a large "quilt." The quilt will be displayed at the Nassawango Outdoor Quilt Show at Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum on September 22 and 23, 2007. All of the artworks will be sold at a fundraiser on September 22, 2007, and the proceeds will benefit community art programs.

Photographs provided by the artist.

Go! Magazine in The Salisbury Daily Times

Classes stir creativity: Arts council offers residents a way to get in touch with artistic side
By Amber McDonald
February 1, 2007

Due to a very flexible nature and consistent drying time, acrylic painting is a unique art medium, which provides many advantages to painting, but also comes with its own set of limitations.

According to Barbara Mowery, a local artist who teaches an acrylic art class, acrylics are a water based paint with no solvents and are very versatile.

"I have been painting with them about 13 years," Mowery said. "I have painted with watercolors and oil paints, and I think I like the instant gratification that comes from the fast drying acrylics. Also, with acrylics you can paint over and correct things, whereas with watercolor if you make a mistake, that's it."

Mowery said because acrylic paints are not corrosive, they can be applied to almost any surface. This is very different from water and oil paints. Oil paints are corrosive and can decompose canvas and watercolor paints must be applied to paper so the water can be absorbed, she said.

Artists can paint just about anything with acrylics, whether it is a bottle of wine, a view of the
Atlantic Ocean, a portrait or something abstract, she said.

Acrylic paints are used like a traditional oil paint. Mowery said there are also numerous acrylic additives and mediums that can be used to do different things with acrylics such as speed up or slow down the drying process.

When acrylics dry, sometimes certain parts are shinier than others, giving it an uneven sheen. Artists can buy gloss mediums or matte gel mediums to go over the acrylic and give it an even sheen, while also preserving the painting.

Working in a law office as her primary occupation, Mowery refers to herself as a "painter with a day job." She teaches an acrylics art class through the Worcester County Arts Council in Berlin, which welcomes artists on all skill levels.

"I'm always trying to come up with a new project to push the students out of their comfort zone," she said. "I try to get them to be inspired by different subjects, and to notice different aspects like lighting and coloring."

Photographs by Peter J. Casey for The Daily Times, January 2007.

Worcester County Times

A Step Above to Spotlight Change of Seasons
November 3, 2005

BERLIN - A "Change of Seasons" art show will kick off at A Step Above Art Gallery in Berlin with a reception on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 2-5 p.m. The November show will feature artists Cassie Hillis with her oils, Barbara Mowery with her acrylics, and Jim Conely and his photos of Delmarva.

Mowery, a recent transplant to Ocean City, is showing her work for the first time on the Delmarva Peninsula. Although largely self-taught, she has studied at Bridgewater College and Montgomery College. She has a unique style of painting that uses flat vivid colors and expressive lines to push the limits of the canvas. She simplifies shapes to emphasize important features of the people, animals, and landscapes she paints. Her sassy paintings spring from her knowledge of art history and mythology.

Photographs by Cameron Adams for the Worcester County Times, November 2005.