ELIZABETH BOWMAN
Exhibit opens March 2 in the Main Gallery and the Prayer Room Gallery
The God Who Sees Me, 24”x30”, Oil on Canvas
ARTIST STATEMENT
There are events in our lives that return to us the glory of the Gospel.
I’d been sleep-walking on the narrow road. Unaware that hurt often became a haze that hid the face of Christ; distorted the faces around me. A white noise that covered His voice.
Who are these people?
And who is this God?
Are his eyes hard? Yes, I think so.
Love? No, anger. Rejection.
Everyone says so.
And you identify with Him?
You should be ashamed.
The Bible? Nothing new there.
But His grace came my way unexpectedly, extending an opportunity to see again.
He sent me mirrors. And what I saw was fragile, empty, hard. Merely here today and gone tomorrow. And I caught a glimpse of Him. His eyes? Tender. And calling me back.
Oh, Lord.
The eyes of my spirit, cleansed. My hands, open and reaching.
My heart, overflowing.
Thank you, God.
Fleeting, 24”x36”, Oil on Canvas
As I’ve returned to Scripture - thirsty, hungry, tired - He has been showing me old stories in ways I did not see before. His patient restraint and loving pursuit of us all from the beginning. The richness of his mercy. How else to respond but with repentance and thanks?
This series stems from a meditation on repentance. During the season of Lent, we practice a series of rituals that help realign us to the truth about ourselves, the brevity of life, and our need for God. These are unpleasant things to ponder, but necessary to live wisely. Purple symbolizes this humble state of the heart. Why purple? It is the coming together of blue and red, which symbolize our hope for redemption and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
HOPE, PROMISES, & WHISPERS OF REDEMPTION
So, that’s how I’m presenting the artwork. The first section of this series focuses on hope - promises and whispers of redemption throughout sacred history. Events that shed light on God’s love, character, and intent toward us. The pieces in this section all have blue as a prominent color. These whispers of hope abound in Scripture! Wish I could’ve made more.
Good News of Great Joy, 24”x36”, Oil on Canvas
REPENTANCE & SURRENDER
In the center is a short section focusing on the themes of Lent. Repentance is a small, but key part in making our hopes actualize into redemption. Only surrender, says the Lord. Only extend your hand and receive - everything. How humble of Him. All these pieces have purple as a prominent color.
I WILL GO TO THE LORD, 16”x20”, Oil on Canvas
CHRIST’S REDEMPTIVE WORK
The third section focuses on the redemptive work of Christ. He is the God who gives, bleeds, shrinks His Being to the almost non-existence of Hell, for our redemption. All these pieces have red as a prominent color.
RESTORATION OF THE IMAGE, 24”x36”, Oil on Canvas
““I hope this series renews your appreciation and deepens your love of our God, who has done so much to bring us back home to Himself.””
Elizabeth Bowman
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Elizabeth is a painter based in Charlotte, NC. She took up painting as a regular practice in 2019, initially focusing on florals and landscapes. She found painting to be both a source of joy and a way to serve others.
In 2023, after personal loss, Elizabeth found great comfort in scriptural music created by contemporary artists. This inspired her to begin exploring spiritual themes in her own work. She’s currently seeking out what biblical stories and teachings reveal to us about what God is like, embodying the sacred and unseen of the Christian faith within the American landscape.
Her process centers around playing with color and stroke. After studying a theme of interest and sketching various versions, she paints with an impressionist method - wet on wet paint. Her husband often speaks into her work and their three little boys have all been studio buddies.
Elizabeth is a self-taught painter with a degree in biblical studies. Her work has been exhibited by Shain Gallery in Charlotte, NC. Her landscapes and florals have been displayed on both HGTV and Magnolia Network, The Breath & The Clay Gallery, and published in Christianity Today’s Easter devotional.
