Bossier is full of culture, art and creativity and our community has many successful creators that choose to call Bossier Parish their home. One of these local successful artists is Megan Bowdon. Megan was born and raised in Bossier City and graduated from Airline High School. Megan and husband Bill Bowdon chose to build their careers and start a family in Bossier Parish and together with their three children, they are proud of the life they have created here in northwest Louisiana. We talked with Megan and asked her a few fun questions regarding her artistry. Learn more about what we discovered regarding Megan Bowdon and her artistic journey below:
Q: What type of education helped steer you towards becoming an artist?
A: I attended Louisiana Tech University where I initially decided to pursue an art major. I received a lot of questions and hesitance regarding this major. Questions concerning what type of job I would be able to find or if this type of career path would be feasible upon graduation. Because I was unsure of what a degree in art meant for my future, my studies ventured towards interior design. I thought this career path might prove to be more lucrative and successful. After graduating from college with a degree in interior design, I dabbled in the interior design space for a number of years. Once my husband and I started growing our family, I decided to stay at home. I quickly learned I needed some type of hobby or creative outlet and I decided to give my passion for art another opportunity. I began painting and creating during any spare time. And I never stopped.
Q: After graduating from college, what made you decide to return and live in Bossier Parish?
A: My husband and family were a big deciding factor that kept me here. Bossier is a great place to raise kids. And it has proven to be a great place to pursue and nurture my art career. Being a stay-at-home Mom and an artist, I paint between carpool and pick-up/drop-off.
Q: Have you always been painting/drawing? When did you first realize you had artistic talent?
A: I have always painted and been very artistic my whole life. It has always been a passion. I won my first art contest when I was in kindergarten.
Q: Was there any teacher or mentor that helped you develop your talent?
A: Luckily, I have always had a great support system that has helped cultivate and shape my artistry. My parents were always so supportive of any art supplies I ever wanted. They even signed me up for art camps. In addition to family support, I had teachers in the Bossier Parish School System that helped foster my creativity and served as big influences. Teachers like Ms. Shaaron Parrish (AIM Program) and Ms. Janice Melancon, my high school art teacher.
Q: What is your favorite medium and style to create?
A: Acrylic on canvas. My favorite style is abstract and I am very inspired by southern topics and the Louisiana culture and landscape. One of my all-time favorite pieces is an oversized alligator that I created for McKenzie W. Holloway’s dental office, The Dental Studio. I also really love a recent abstract landscape that I just completed.
Q: What types of artwork do you offer as an artist?
A: I create various collections with certain themes and I also offer commissioned pieces.
Previous collection themes have ranged from a Blue Herron in Flight series to a Sportsman’s Paradise collection. The Sportsman’s Paradise collection is my favorite collection to date and incorporates duck dogs, deer hunting and duck hunting. My husband is an avid hunter so a lot of this collection’s inspiration was close to home.
I am currently working on four different miniseries and abstract collections that range from botanicals, color steady abstracts, sweet and southern bows and a tennis theme. I have recently started playing tennis and this collection will be a fun way to channel my excitement towards this new hobby. I am looking at a spring release date for these four miniseries collections.
Q: Where can your art be purchased?
A: I currently have a few pieces for sale at Birdwell’s. I participated in the Red River Revel for the first time in 2023, and I am hopeful that I will be able to participate again in 2024. My collections and pieces are also available on my website at meganbowdonart.com.
Q: Who is your favorite artist other than yourself?
A: I just purchased a piece from Elaine Burge. She is an artist from Georgia and I really appreciate her style.
Q: Is there anything unique or interesting about your creative process?
A: My home studio is right off my kid’s playroom and on any given day, my kids may be in the room with me. Sometimes we are all painting together. I may have 20 minutes to work on a piece before having to run an errand or assist with one of their [the kids] activities. I am really trying to instill a love of art into my kid’s lives. I am hoping to offer the same level of encouragement and support that my parents provided to me. When we are not all painting together, I do enjoy listening to an audio book or music. My typical creative process goes from ideas to sketching and then actually blocking it out on canvas.
Q: Are you involved in any other creative outlets?
A: I am a partner with the new company, Bandette Bands. Bandette Bands are interchangeable hatbands. We have participated in several popup events at local boutiques and we offer wholesale options. I also create needlepoint canvas designs. It’s kind of like paint by numbers. I create hand painted canvases that are then transferred onto a needlepoint canvas. Hanging by a Thread in Shreveport carries my needlepoint collections. I have also participated in a few classes at Birdwell’s where I have led the class and we have painted wine glasses or cookies. I love baking so the hand painted cookie classes were so much fun!
You can find additional information regarding Megan Bowdon Art at meganbowdonart.com