Do you feel your art has lost its spark?

I'm Janet Bowler and this page is called About Me - but of course, it’s also about you!

Whatever stage you’ve reached in your art, there are times when it can feel as though you’re stuck in a rut. Believe me, I know — it happens to us all from time to time!

That feeling of gazing at a blank paper or canvas, and waiting in vain for inspiration - hand on heart, which artist has never felt that?  

But hey, this is what happens when you're an artist! I know it can make you feel a bit shaky but actually it's a good thing and not something to be frustrated about.

For whatever reason, it means you're no longer happy with what you've been doing -  and it's a chance to find a whole new way forward.

I created this site for serious amateur artists who want fresh ideas, renewed confidence, and a more thoughtful way of looking at the world around them. 

Sometimes all it takes is a shift in how you see, and the work begins to move again.

Remember that great feeling - 'Can't wait to get my paints out!'? Let's see if together we can rediscover that for you!

"Honesty and Siam Silk" oil painting by Janet Bowler

My life with art

I was lucky enough to grow up in a house full of art and music, with my father’s paintings, sculptures, and stained glass taking up just about every available space!

He was a professional artist and teacher, and it was my mother who brought music into my life, as she was both a teacher and a pianist. So I suppose it was almost inevitable that I should follow in their footsteps.

In the end, art won out over the piano for me, and before long I found myself at art college, spending my days doing the subjects I loved best.

Drawing and painting were at the heart of it, with sculpture and lithography added to the mix, and I thought I was in heaven! 

After that came a spell at university and art had now become an integral part of my life — and if you’ve got the art bug too, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Once it gets you, that’s it - you’re done for!

"Harvest Reflected" oil painting by Janet Bowler

Helping artists to come unstuck!

One of the joys of being an artist is that you never really stop seeing stuff!  Even when you’re not painting, something catches your eye — shimmering light on water, vibrant colour reflected in a wet street, dandelion seeds blowing across a summer sky... 

But here's the thing -  we have to keep our eyes open, because you never know what will light the fireworks for you, and get you scrambling for your pencils or paints! 

On this site, I share ideas and ways of seeing that can help you find that lost spark again.

Now, all great artists, from the old masters to contemporary painters, rely on the seven elements of art to get their ideas across.

We'll see what 'lights the fireworks' for these artists, find out why their work moves us, and how the same techniques can be used in your own art.  

My aim is not to tell you exactly what to paint. It’s to help you notice more, think more clearly about how to get your ideas across, and find that sense of excitement again when you pick up a pencil or brush.

Vibrant color on a wintry night!

My training and experience

My training took me through five years of full-time study at art college and  university, gaining my National Diploma in Design and Art Teachers Diploma in painting and art teaching. Since then I've worked as an artist and teacher, exhibited at the Medici Gallery in London and the Barbican Gallery in Plymouth, and taken on a range of commissions along the way.

I remember one of them being quite a challenge! I'd never thought about painting steam trains, but one day, there I was, sketching amongst a mob of engine enthusiasts renovating a vintage engine back to it's full glory. I tell you, those guys knew every screw, every rivet in that engine and were not happy if I counted 'em wrong!

All good fun though, the client was happy - and another artistic experience added to the repertoire. So it never hurts your skill-set to tackle something new, does it?

In recent years it's been fun to help home-school my grand-children. In fact, later on today as I write this, I'll be taking an 'artist's walk' with my granddaughter (and furry friend!)

Me and two students studying the effects of light on water!

What you can do next

You'll feel that some of the art on this site speaks especially to you and the way you work. And some of it will inspire you to try a totally new direction. 

Take a wander through these pages and see which element of art grabs you the most.

Some vague ideas may start stirring - if so, sketch them roughly in your sketchbook.

These first thoughts are for your eyes only, so they don’t need to be polished. Let them stay loose for a while. That early stage, when ideas are just beginning to form, is often more valuable than we realise.

If you’d like a good place to begin, take a look at the page, The Eye of an Artist — it could help you see your subject, and your own work, in a fresh way.

Then the home page will give you a brief look at all the art elements in turn.

So, a big welcome to you - it's great to have you here!  Together, let's find your lost spark again!

"Just for You" Oil painting by Janet Bowler

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