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"The paintings of Vrinda (ClareMaria) Bowman draw us into dimensions of spirit with beauty, wit, and movement like a dance. Here is a painter who lets paint be paint and shows it," 
                                                                                 -David Behlke, Director,  

                                                                                  KOA GALLERY, HONOLULU, HI.  

VRINDAJI CLARE-MARIA BOWMAN

VISIONARY ARTIST OF JOY

Vrindaji Clare-Maria (Billie) Bowman is an acclaimed artist and illustrator, whose work has been shown throughout the United States and in Europe and India. Her paintings and hand-crafted prints have been displayed in prominent art museums and galleries as well as featured in a wide range of promotional events. Vrindaji’s career as an artist spans numerous decades and includes teaching in universities, art schools, youth centers, and community studios specializing in art for wellbeing. Those who view her work, often say her art brings joy, smiles, and spiritual wonder.

Painting prayerful folks, angels and saints, ecstatic dancers, animals, musicians and much more, she creates a visual feast of bright colors that subtly elevates us into a glimpse of heaven on earth. Her work is occasionally embellished with words from scriptures or inspiring and instructive quotations. Some of her paintings turn away from whimsy and are focused solely on the beauty and reverence and healing power of prayer. Her paintings of Mother Theresa, Our Lady of Lourdes, Padre Pio, Christ the Healer, and the iconic block-cuts of St. Benedict, St. Scholastica, and Blessed Mother Mary are a few of these.

Vrindaji and Jack.jpg

From earliest childhood Vrindaji was fascinated by artistic expression and enjoyed sharing her inspired creations with others. As a youngster she loved to create works of art and felt blessed by her art classes both at school in Clayton, Missouri and at the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park. There she entered the vast world of artistic imagination found throughout the centuries. Her attention focused on certain areas such as the art of Asia, the whimsy and storytelling of paintings by Marc Chagall and Max Beckman, and the bold woodcuts of Seiko Munakata, Max Beckman, and Ben Shahn.

Through the years her work has been shown in major art museums, galleries, schools, and universities across the U.S. and in Europe and India. (See “Reviews” link on website.) Hundreds of paintings, children's illustrations, and prints have birthed themselves. Vrindaji’s paintings and hand-cut prints have been selected for publication in poetry journals, children's books, and magazines.

 

Her education includes: Washington University, St. Louis where she received a B.A. in Fine Art and History; San Francisco Art Institute, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts with a focus on printmaking and painting; California State University, Hayward, (art therapy and educational psychology); Harkness School of Dance in New York City; and Turtle Bay Music School where she focused on creative art therapies. She has received grants from the Tiffany Foundation, the Harkness Foundation, and the Maine Art Alliance.

Publications include periodicals, poetry journals, and children's books. Vrindaji has written and illustrated six children's books of her own as well as illustrating books for others. She illustrated Timothy Stuetz's “Blissbeary Bear's Fairytales Vol 1,” and “Ballad of the Bees.” In addition, she has created over 55 book covers for his Blissbeary series. For author Lanie Sevante Wulkan, Vrindaji illustrated the book “Finn's Giant Leap,” first in the series of “Finn's Great Adventures.” Her hand-cut block prints have been published in poetry journals such as Rainmakers and Monkscript Two.

Vrindaji loves to share her art through teaching, and as a teacher with over 40 years of experience, she continues to teach and give workshops. She has taught in universities, art schools, centers for children, and special arts studios. She was an art ambassador for the Honolulu Academy of Art Museum as well as teaching for the Honolulu Printmakers. Living in Berkeley, California in the 1970s while attending graduate school, she became active in the widespread sharing of community food giving and free art classes. She began a printmaker's co-op in Oakland called Experimental Workshop Press, a place to express oneself though the art of printmaking. It offered the use of an etching press and printmaking supplies, instruction, an artist's community, and encouragement for all who came. Vrindaji also used art therapy and provided workshop experiences for those needing the healing dimension of art.

In 2007 she attended a seminar in New Mexico to learn how to transmit healing energy to others. Her teacher suggested that Vrindaji create personalized healing paintings for people—SPIRIT ART PAINTINGS.  Vrindaji continues to create these paintings that are now called “Personal Vision Paintings.” As an individual holds an intention (prayer) for their highest guidance to be revealed, Vrindaji creates through spiritual intuition a commissioned painting, now called a PERSONAL VISION PAINTING that becomes a visual prayer or healing icon specifically designed for bringing out the best life and spiritual fulfillment for that person.

 

Vrindaji’s life and work are permeated with soul-awakening intuition, compassionate service, boundless creativity, a beautiful spirit of love, and an inner stream of spiritual joy that heals and uplifts.  As she often puts it: “Art lifts us and we soar in a vision beyond words, in the highest vibration called Love.”

Abundant Blessings of God’s Peace, Love, and Joy!

© 2022 by Vrindaji Bowman. 
 

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