Alex Gower
Alex Gower – Artist
Alex has always enjoyed drawing and whilst at school in the 1970’s, won prizes for drawings of his pet dog and the cartoon characters he created for a comic book that he produced with a class mate. He attempted to keep creating art after leaving school, attending night classes in drawing and print making at the Canberra School of Art and painting landscapes and pet portraits in oils. He entered local art competitions and even won a best in show at the Bungendore art show. Although Alex has always kept a sketch book close by, the pressure to build a career led to him putting his artistic endeavours on hold for what turned out to be twenty five years. He took up painting again in the early 2000s, discovering pastels and the excitement and immediacy of putting pure colour to paper.
Alex works with a range of media including oil and acrylic paints, water colour, pastel, pencil and ink. In recent years, he’s been working extensively with pastels, a medium that brings together drawing and painting techniques and encourages creative use of colour to produce lively, expressive compositions. Living on the south coast of New South Wales has provided a beautiful and diverse environment which inspires and shapes Alex’s subject matter which includes seascapes, landscapes and picturesque coastal village scenes. Recently, he has been exploring the structure, movement and power of waves. His paintings highlight each waves’ unique character and beauty with their complex patterns of foam, sea spray and refracted light. He still likes to draw animals and has recently undertaken several commissioned pet portraits for friends and associates.
Resume
Alex Gower: Artist
Media: Pastels, Acrylic, Oils, Pencil and Ink
Style: Realist/Colourist
Subjects: Seascapes, Landscapes, Animals and Pets, Village and Town Scenes
Commissions: Yes
Awards:
- Bungendore Open Competition – 1989 Best in Show – Blue Landscape (Oil on canvas 500ml x 400ml)
- South Coast Pastel Society Annual Open Exhibition and Competition 2021 – Healthy Art Award – Malua Bay Swell (Pastel on board 600ml x 450ml)
