Four Friends at the River – 6×6 – Private Collection

Like several painters, ​Martha Cowan​ started learning how to draw as a young girl from her dad. Her interest never waned, and at 13, her parents signed her up for the first of many painting classes. She loved it, and from that point on, painting has been her thing. Cowan has extensively studied with many artists – including Cathy Shefer, Elin Thomas, Carol Marine, Jennifer McChristian, David Leffel, and Joseph Todorovitch, to whom she owes so much.Cowan studied art at Chaffey College to Art Center College of Design to Cal State Fullerton, where she received her BFA in Fine Art. Her early career work was as a graphic designer, and Martha finds that these skills carry over into successful paintings today.

Teaching art, design, and painting for the last 30 years to students from elementary school to high school has been away for Cowan to pass along the knowledge she’s gained over the years. Being an adjunct instructor of art and design at the college level for 12 years was immensely rewarding. Currently, Cowan instructs advanced students at the Redlands Art Gallery in Redlands, CA, and holds private classes at Mission Fine Art Gallery in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Cowan understands the value of teaching and also continues to learn within her teaching.

Martha has shown her work for many years. “Encircled” was most recently exhibited in the Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit, 2019. “Breaks Over” won the Award of Excellence in the Palm Springs Artists Council Exhibit. “Quietly Fading” won second place at the San Dimas Festival of Arts in 2019. “I Noticed You” won the Gold Medal Award at the 2018 San Dimas Festival of Arts. In 2017, “Cuties With the Blues” won an Honorable Mention in the Artist’s Magazine Annual Competition. In 2017, “Workin’ Men” and “Restricted” won Emerging Artist Awards in the ArtMuseContest. “The Boss” won the Best of Show Award in the Associated Artists of the Inland Empire annual show.

Cowan’s work is published in Illustrators 31, Artist’s Magazine March 2018, Art Patron Magazine Palm Springs September/October 2018, and Art Patron Magazine Laguna Beach September/October 2018. Articles have been written about Cowan over the years in newspapers such as​ Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Redlands Daily Facts, and the Desert Star Weekly​.

Cowan demonstrates painting and judges art shows at art organizations around Southern California. She also is a member of two collaborative painting groups: Upper Underground Artists (UUGAS) of Rancho Cucamonga, and Studio Buckingham Group of Redlands. Her paintings can be located in many private collections.

Cowan continues to grow as a painter. She is a member of Oil Painters of America, the California Art Club, Chaffey Community Museum of Art, and the Palm Springs Artists Council.

She is represented by Hillside Fine Art in Claremont, California, and Mission Fine Art Gallery in San Juan Capistrano, California.

To observe more of her artworks, visit her website → http://marthacowanpaintings.com