Artist Spotlight: Mary Cowan

Mary Cowan is a watercolor artist based in Ames, Iowa. She holds a degree in Fashion Design from Iowa State University, and has always had a love for the arts. After putting aside her art to raise her three beautiful children, Mary founded her art business Adventure Illustrations, LLC. in 2019 to begin sharing her art with others. “My love of travel paired well with watercolors because they can go with me everywhere I find inspiration.” 

Mary was inspired to begin painting again when her husband bought her a subscription to the company ‘Let’s Make Art’ for Mother’s Day. “When I started painting again, I realized how much I missed the creativity. The overwhelmingly positive response from friends, family and even strangers was so wonderful to receive.” Mary enjoys being an artist for the beauty of it and ability to bring people together. “I love watching the paint freely move on the paper and the wild ability of watercolor to do the unexpected. Embracing every mistake is an opportunity to create. Also, painting with friends is so much fun and a great reason to get everyone together!”

"Fox" by Mary Cowan pictured above.

Mary enjoys looking at other artists work and techniques, and does not favor one piece over another. “It's fascinating to look at other people's art and try to figure out how they did it. I admire all art and don't have a particular favorite piece of art. It's all just so wonderful!” In her own work, she enjoys painting landscapes and funny animals. “Landscapes are for when my mood is more serious. However, I paint animals when I need to lighten up a bit.  Besides, who doesn't love an adorable funny animal!” She is often inspired during her travels when creating a new piece. “The mountains, oceans and city skylines are particularly appealing to me.”

"Screaming Llama" by Mary Cowan pictured above.

To aspiring artists, Mary encourages resilience. “You never know unless you try. If you hate a piece you painted, walk away, and come back. Lastly, always find beauty in the imperfections.”

Mary discovered Golden State art on Amazon and then decided to begin ordering directly from the Golden State Art website. “Your matting with backboards, frames and bags helps me to present my work in a professional way for a final sale to my customers. I love that I can buy it all together because it saves me a ton of time!”

“I am always painting new things!  Please keep checking back or follow my Instagram page for the latest works. If you like a piece, please inquire about availability in a comment below the image.”

Instagram: @adventure_illustrations 

Facebook: @adventureillustrations 

View more of Mary's beautiful artwork below!