Who Is Nadine A Bower?

Hey, Earthling!

I’m glad you found your way here! So let me invite you to put your feet up, while I introduce myself. 

My full name is Nadine April Bower. I love every part of my name, so in order to keep “regular” me slightly separate from “artist” me, I made the “A” part of my artist and business signature.

I grew up Northern, Ohio, in a small rural town just outside of Toledo. When I was a kid, my backyard was farmland. Very flat, and perfect for sunsets. Watching these beautiful swirling colors sit on top of rough rugged dirt built the foundation for my artistic voice. Throughout my life, I found this same metaphor represented over and over again. Whether I was playing in the dirt with bows in my hair, or working out with my team before heading to choir practice, it felt like my life always had two opposing sides to it. I never quite fit into any one stereotype. 

​Most people would say that made me “well rounded”. While that might be true, as I got older, it made it more and more difficult to make choices for my life. After I received my degree in art education, I felt like I needed to be the perfect role model for my students. But my creative, free spirited side wanted to take risks and go on adventures. 

Throughout all of this, I was always making art. Painting, drawing, sewing, sculpting, creating in any way possible. It wasn’t until I started looking deeper into the subconscious meaning behind my artwork that it finally all started making sense. I realized that I wasn’t just making shallow, surface level art like I had always thought. Rather, I was making art driven by a deep need to find balance between all the opposing parts of myself. The feminine and masculine; professional and wild; structured and messy. The clearer this became, the more I started seeing similar opposing ideas in nature; day and night, winter and summer, even life and death.  

I've realized, a balance between opposing ideas is what makes each of us who we are. If we try to shut out one part because it doesn’t fit into the singular stereotype we’ve tried to make ourselves fit into, then it becomes impossible to truly appreciate who we are as a whole. 

I’ve since realized plenty of other people feel the same way, especially women. The struggle to be a caring mother and a stoic boss, or a respectable citizen and a sexual partner is very real. Without celebrating a balance between all of these pieces, just existing can feel exhausting. 

​The art I make now is purposeful. Making art that symbolizes this balances is no longer an accident, but rather, a choice. My hope is that when you find a piece of my art that speaks to you, it can serve as a constant reminder to celebrate the balance within you.