Local Artist at "Evening with the Artists"

Local artist Martha Cowan has pursued many paths of art and graphic design during her career. Cowan, who has been nationally recognized for her pieces, and four other artists will be featured during the annual "Evening with the Artists" hosted by the Redlands Community Hospital Foundation on Friday, April 25th. "I attended 'Evening with the Artists' last year at the invitation of Tony Radcliffe, who was one of the exhibiting artists," says Cowan. "I was inspired to be involved, to help the cause of Redlands Community Hospital. Art is such an important vehicle in the healing of people." Cowan strives to paint daily in the midst of her busy schedule. Throughout her career she has worked for local advertising agencies, owned her own business, taught at multiple colleges, and featured her paintings in local art shows. Her favorite medium is oil, but she also enjoys painting with pastels and watercolor sketches. One of Cowan's paintings was shown at the Museum of American Illustration in New York, and many of her pieces belong to private collections. Throughout her career, Cowan has studied under artists like Elin Pendleton, Carol Marine, Jennifer McChristian, David Leffel, and Joseph Todorovitch. "Currently, I am working on a body of paintings that personally affect me and are from the heart. Scenes of forgotten, abandoned, and insignificant places touch me," she says. "Memories of my childhood in Redlands inspire paintings not often seen of Redlands. Insignificant, everyday objects and citrus fruits become important and significant." At the age of six, Cowan realized her love for art when her father spent his time teaching her to draw. She says she loved copying drawings using different shades of charcoal. Cowan took her first painting class at the age of 13 and never stopped learning. She went on to graduate with honors from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in fine art. Cowan taught art at Orange County High School of the Arts, Chaffey Community College, San Bernardino Valley College, and Dona Merced Elementary School. She is the former plein air coordinator for Associated Artists of the Inland Empire and teaches art to students at a private elementary school. Cowan joins local artists Aida Schneider, Angela Koenig, Seung Lee, and Ray Fedorchak at the annual "Evening with the Artists" event. Cowan's artwork will be available for purchase at the Stan and Ellen Weisser Education Pavilion from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 25th. Proceeds will benefit the Redlands Community Hospital Foundation's art fund. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served during the evening's elegant event. Tickets are $20. The Foundation's art program began in 1978 and today, the hospital exhibits a collection of more than 750 works of original art and historic photographs in the Redlands Community Art collection. For more information on the "Evening with the Artists" event or to RSVP, please call 909-335-5540. To see a sample of Cowan's artwork, please visit www.marthacowanpaintings.blogspot.com.