Meet local artist Alexandra Bowers, who creates stunning artworks on wood, she is a pyrographer, also known as a wood burning artist.
She adorns unique pieces of wood with intricate hand burned drawings of local flora, fauna, and animals. Bowers discovered woodburning on a lark over 6 years ago and has been creating with her soldering iron and beautiful red birch ever since. When asked why red birch wood, the artist replied “I like to work on red birch, which is a light wood, with a pinkish hue that allows for the type of contrast that helps me render my subject matter.”
Born and raised in Scottsdale Arizona, Bowers had a childhood filled with traveling, camping and hiking with her family peaking her curiosity towards nature that has continued into adulthood and is the inspiration for her work. During her nature explorations, she extensively studies and records her findings, which she then utilizes to produce wood burned studies of plants and animals. When asked about her work Bowers said, “With my artwork I’m trying to push the pre-conceived ideas of wood burning being thought of as a “craft-based” form of art making, into a high-brow technique.”
Traditionally trained, Bowers received her Bachelor of Arts from Herberger Institute For Design and the Arts, Arizona State University 2012. Drawing inspiration from her woodburning Bowers decided to branch out and create other items such as t-shirts, bookmarks, and other commissioned works. Bowers currently sells her artwork and goods online and at Made Boutique in Downtown Phoenix, all adorned with her delicate and unique burned flora and fauna images.
She was a visual art finalist for a Phoenix New Times 2014 Big Brain Award and she was commissioned to create a custom award given to a 2015 Arizona Governor's Arts Award recipient. Bowers has had her work featured in various publications most recently in YabYum Music & Arts and Phoenix New Times.
She is currently busy in her studio working on her latest series of work and preparing for upcoming exhibition at Mesa Community College Gallery Satellite Space, Mesa titled Summertime Fantasy, curated Ted G. Decker slated for this spring! She recently had a solo exhibition with Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art (phICA) this past April curated by Ted Decker at the Hot Box Galleries located on Roosevelt Row. She also participated in “All Art Arizona 2015” group exhibition at Art Intersection, as well as the much praised all female group exhibition She-Deck, curated by Kyllan Maney at Frontal Lobe Gallery District.
Want to learn more information about Alexandra Bowers and her artwork visit Alexandrabowersart.com! *Photographs featured in article are courtesy and copyright of the artist.
