by Kastle Waserman
Greg Gowen tried to forsake life as an artist—until he received a divine whisper
AFTER WATCHING HIS ARTIST PARENTS STRUGGLE, Greg Gowen swore he would never follow in their footsteps. “I know what it means to be a starving artist,” he says. However, while helping his dad, a copper and brass sculpture artist, Gowen found he was good at selling. He opened a gallery with a partner to sell art on consignment.
But that was not to be. After returning from a ski trip, Gowen found his partner had cleaned out the gallery, taken the art and money, and run, leaving him broke, in debt and unemployed. Desperate to provide for himself and his wife, he did the one thing his parents taught him: art. He borrowed a torch from his father and began to create, using copper scraps from his father’s metalworks. Within a couple of months, he landed his first gallery exhibit in Sedona, Arizona, and his work resonated with clients, bringing in enough money to live on.
Still reluctant to pursue art, Gowen attended a ministry school to become a pastor until, he says, he had a visit from God. “I was halfway through the course, and I heard an audible voice saying, ‘I designed you to be an artist.’”
He says his faith set him on the artist path. “If you’re going to be obedient to God, you have to do what he says, right?”
Gowen admits he took his creative skills for granted, having grown up around artists. “I didn’t think it was that special,” he says. That changed when he saw people’s reactions to his work and how much it meant to his clients to have something original and handmade in their homes.
Today, Gowen creates metalwork art from copper and steel using various techniques. He says he loves working with copper because of its response to heat. “There are all these colors trapped inside of copper,” he explains. “When you apply different techniques, that starts coming out.”
Gowen uses a variety of torches, from oxygen to MAPP gas, to ignite the metal’s tones and colors. He applies a chemical to speed up the patina process, revealing rich greens and blues. He also works with a bead roller to add texture and shape, and he has an antique metal-spinning lathe to create bowls. Once the piece is complete, he uses a powder coating and custom lacquer to lock in the colors and protect the piece.
Gowen says the warmth of copper reflects the Southwest surroundings, reminding him of New Mexico sunsets and the mountain strata. “It just makes you feel warm when you look at it.”
He’s also grateful he took God’s advice. “I see my work now as an act of worship. To use the skills and talents that God put in me. When I finally embraced it, I realized, this is my ministry!”
See more of Greg Gowen’s art at studiog7.com
