Fiona
Dowdee
Fiona Dowdee - Contemporary artist
Artist statment
My artistic practice is primarily large-scale oil paintings on canvas. I use oil paint to evoke classicism and give intensity to depth and color. I use thin layers of paint to disguise the marks of the artist in favor of the subject's likeness. When painting I like to combine realism of form and skin with contemporary artistic attributes, blurring the lines between art and life.
I often paint in self portraiture or portraits of subjects who inspire me. My work focuses greatly on the female presenting body in its many forms, reflecting the inner and outer challenges. I paint as a way of expressing how it feels to be a young person at this time, and how it feels to be a woman.
Recently I have begun to experiment with color in a more abstract way, replicating computer effects over classically painted figures, emphasizing the way society has melded with electronics.
I find that I can use portraiture, which traditionally has been a tool for the elite to show wealth and power, to create a juxtaposition, as well as a melding of traditional styles and contemporary ideas: a subject that demands to be recognized and demands a future. The young subject stares directly into the eyes of the viewer showing the fear, but also the power of my generation.
Artist Biography
Fiona Dowdee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California currently working and living in NYC. Having grown up with two artist parents in a homeschooled environment, she absorbed creativity from the start. Fiona began to paint at a young age, as well as becoming prolific in Special Effects Makeup, so much so that at age 12 she began working for the city of Pasadena adorning participants with wounds and injuries for disaster response training. Her accomplishments in Special Effects Makeup garnered her a commendation from the Pasadena Fire Chief.
When she started public highschool, she joined the AP Studio Art classes and her deep love for painting grew, leading to multiple school art show awards and two Rotary Craftsmanship awards.
After high school, she worked at an art gallery called Resin Gallery. During her time at Resin, she oversaw the arts program teaching students drawing and painting. She also helped create and teach Creative Consciousness classes for at-promise and special needs kids in Los Angeles county.
Her work began to be inspired by her upbringing from a feminist mother, driving her to create large realistic pieces focusing on the female form. Her work was featured in many art shows through South Bay Artist Collective, earning her multiple best in show awards. Her work was also featured in the TV show Lucifer (Season 5 episode 13).
After taking two gap years to continue teaching at Resin Gallery, she was accepted into Pratt Institute, NYC, for painting. She began studying there in 2019, learning how to combine the realism painting she knew with more contemporary and multimedia styles. Still a part of the Resin Galleries’ Indivisible Arts Collective during her time in NYC, she has been in multiple shows in Los Angeles, and was featured in AwareNow Magazine's “Dreams” issue.
After a year at Pratt, she took a hiatus starting in 2022 to focus on building her body of work and establishing connections in the art world. Her work now focuses on the youth of today, combining classical figurative oil painting and contemporary attributes to create pieces that reflect the turbulence of life as a young person today.
Accomplishments
Paintings featured in season 5 episode 13 of Lucifer
Featured in AwareNow magazines Dreams issue
Group Exhibitions
2022 Return to Harmony, Resin gallery
2022 Love South Bay style, Resin gallery
2022 Moon Jam, Resin gallery
2022 Sun Jam, Resin gallery
2021 Cypress Block party, Resin gallery
2020 Industry of meaning, Resin gallery
2019 Art of giving, Resin gallery
2018 9x12, Resin gallery
2017 9x12, Manhattan beach art center
Awards
2022 Best in show, Resin gallery
2020 Best in show, Resin gallery
2019 Best artist senior class
2019 Rotary Club craft award - Excellence in painting
2019 Best in show
2017 Rotary Club craft award - excellence in painting
2014 Commendation for special effects makeup, Pasadena Fire Department
Education
2021 - 2022 Pratt Institute
2016 - 2019 Mira Costa Highschool
Media
2022 AwareNow Magazine, Depth in Detail, Pages 132 - 141
Contact Me
310-767-6310