Back Roads Studio Tour: Fred Fowler

Julie Druker | Oct 01, 2015

Fred Fowler has worn multiple hats over the years: one as police officer, another as a plater, another as a para-legal fighting traffic tickets, and more; but the one hat that has always remained is that of artist and painter.

Fowler has been painting since he was a kid in kindergarten. His home and studio, nestled on the shores of the Mississippi River near Snow Road, is an ideal spot for an artist inspired by nature, and those who popped in for a visit on this year’s North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour on September 26 & 27, likely noticed that landscapes loom large in his repertoire.

As a native of Nipigon, Ontario on the north shore of Lake Superior, Fowler said he has always been enchanted by landscapes. Some of his works are huge, with canvases stretching from four to five feet long. They have a commanding presence while transporting the viewer to a place they may have never been before.

As a youngster Fowler studied drafting in high school and won many awards, which likely landed him a spot at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. He also attended the New School of Art in Toronto and said that his training has allowed him to appreciate and paint in a number of different styles. Fowler is a multi-media artist and paints mostly in oils and acrylics but has also painted in watercolours in the past.

He is also a printmaker and in this medium he explores more intimate subject matter. In his monotype print titled “Frantic Pursuit”, two dogs are caught mid-stride chasing a ball. The work is mysterious and possesses a mythical quality. Fowler admits though that because of where he is from and where he now resides, landscapes have become his primary focus. He and his wife Sarah, who is also a painter, make regular trips to the north shore of Lake Superior. They take numerous photographs there and use them as the basis for their paintings.

Equally inspired by his local surrounds, Fowler also paints what is close by. One work titled “On the Beaver Pond” was inspired from a scene he found on Brooke Road just south of Highway 7. It shows a winter beaver pond and a stand of cedars on drowned land, and the work is painted from a very low angle with the cedars showing up in dark silhouettes against the snow and the expanse of the late afternoon sky shimmering above in pinks, greys and purples. Fowler recalled being “attracted to the strong shadows that the sunlight was casting through the trees.” With camera in hand he laid down in the snow to capture the low angle he needed to get the shadows he wanted to depict. Other works, like one titled “Mazinaw Reflections”, shows Bon Echo's majestic Mazinaw Rock. Fowler is donating the work to the Friends of Bon Echo upon their request, and it will be raffled off next year at their annual exhibition and sale.

Another large piece titled “Calabogie Bridge” is a work that demonstrates Fowler’s love of winter scenery. “This is one of my favorite locations and my goal here was to capture the various planes in the landscape including water, ice, rocks, horizon line and the sky and to try to draw the viewer’s eye into the scene”. Fowler says that winter scenes are what inspire him most.

For those who did not make it to Fred’s studio you can see his work on display at the Fall River Restaurant in Maberly, on line at www.fredfowler.ca or you can also make an appointment by calling 613- 699-3686. If you happen to be traveling the back roads near Snow Road you can also drop in by chance. His studio is located at 4005 Elphin-Maberly Road.