Many are familiar with the wise saying “if you choose a job you love, you will never work a day in your life” and the saying “the worse day fishing is always better than the best day working.” Dinah Bowman has managed to merge both sayings into her art career which spans over 50 years. As Dinah says, “I don’t set out to just live, I thrive!”
Although she was focused on studying marine biology at the time, Dinah Bowman was first introduced to the art technique of Gyotaku or “fish rubbing” in 1969 while her dad was stationed in Japan. Dinah credits her love of nature to fishing and hunting with her dad.
Having been certified as a diver in 1966 and as part of her academic studies, Dinah spent a month each year diving among the Coral Reefs in Belize. She credits the time immersed in the ocean for her success in creating lifelike art that reflects the natural movements of subjects among their habitats. Dinah not only earned her undergraduate degree in marine biology and chemistry, but a master’s degree in art/terrestrial biology as well.
Long before cameras, fisherman wanted records of fish they caught before either eating them or releasing them. As early as the 1800s, Japanese fishermen – and later on biologists – carried Gyotaku supplies along to document catches. Gyotaku, translated “gyo” = fish and “taku” = impression, is the Japanese technique of nature printing. The fish is inked and an impression is made by pressing the inked fish into a piece of paper. When lifted off, the ink leaves a realistic rendition of the fish onto the paper or cloth.
Dinah was the first artist to practice Gyotaku in Texas while working at the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. She was creating prints and fine art for friends and family, but more importantly, Dinah created 130 illustrations over three years that filled the widely used book, “Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico.” “A&M Press ranks the book as one of the longest running guides ever printed” says Dinah.
Going beyond the basics of Gyotaku, Dinah is most well-known for her mastery of the art technique. Dinah gives subjects realistic appearances against natural looking backgrounds and environments, upon multiple types of mediums from paper to natural materials. Dinah created an art piece by rubbing a local fish from New Zealand upon antique wood panels and ferns native to the area.
The Smithsonian Institute carried another piece through nature museums throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia that depicted a flying fish upon a wave-grained wood. The finished artwork is a superb alternative to taxidermy.
Despite passing the milestone of 50 years in art, Dinah doesn’t let any grass grow under her feet. She continues to hold many art shows, including a special 50th retrospective show that included over 50 different species from fishes, plants, invertebrates, a ten-foot-long alligator with skin and skull, a state record Marlin, and popular publications and books featuring Dinah. Dinah recently became the first illustrator in the award-winning Texas Shores magazine published by Sea Grant.
Dinah passionately pursues her bucket list of fish to catch from around the world for fine art creations. She recently visited Panama to catch and print a Rooster fish. Dinah plans to visit Alaska to catch and print a six-foot Halibut. This may sound big but consider she has created a twelve-foot masterpiece from an eight-foot, 800 pound tuna. Dinah loves traveling the world on “research” fishing trips that continually sharpen her skills. Another lifelong dream came true while working alongside scientists and biologist exploring the deep sea. Dinah was called upon to artistically document research during a 90-day voyage board the JOIDES Resolution research vessel.
Left Dinah beginning the Gyotaku process on a trophy fish. | Photos Courtesy Dinah Bowman Right Dinah’s unique studio circa 1979 | Courtesy Larry Jacoway, Used with Permission
When Dinah decided to “jump off the cliff,” as she calls her leap into art full-time, she discovered and purchased her unique circa 1910 studio, all while her framing shop business, as well as her core business of building condo art packages for interior decorators, developed and quickly became profitable.
After 50 years, Dinah continues to find new innovative ways to keep her passion fresh and answer the question from collectors, “Ok, what do you have new?” Creating beautiful and unique abstracts is one way Dinah fulfills her needs and those of important clientele. Her beautiful abstract creations adorn the walls of corporate offices, banks, and various art collectors. She even has abstract furniture collections as well. Dinah explains “keeping things fresh, that’s important in a business, especially the business of ours.”
According to Dinah, “If I hadn’t tried, I would have regretted and never have known the success I was meant to enjoy!”