Sawdust & glory: The work of Delavan's Dorae Bowen
Retirement did not slow her down. Meet Dorae Bowen, the talented wood carver and painter of the Geneva Lake Arts Foundation.
For more about Bowen, read this feature which appeared in September's Prime Timers.
Meet Dorae
Pronounced “doe-ray,” Dorae Bowen is a Delavan artist who primarily works in wood carving sculptures and watercolors. She is also a member of the Geneva Lake Arts Foundation, and she serves on the foundation’s board.
Christmas time
Dorae Bowen is starting to create this year’s batch of Christmas wood carvings.
Jester
“A caricature carver has a great sense of humor,” said Dorae Bowen.
Uh oh!
Things are not going too well for this witch.
Holidays collide
A witch shares shelf space among the Christmas carvings in Dorae Bowen's workshop.
The joy is in the details
For Dorae Bowen, fine details make the work of wood carving fun.
Carolers
More of Dorae Bowen’s Christmas work.
Before & after
What one of Dorae Bowen’s sculptures look like before and after completion.
Santa
About 25 years ago, Dorae Bowen wanted to make a Santa for an assistant. This is what compelled her to become a caricature wood carver.
Tools of the trade
Veiners, gougers, knives — Dorae Bowen has an array of tools to craft her whimsical, finely detailed wood sculptures.
Making people smile
“If you can include a little whimsy in life, that makes all the difference, doesn’t it? If you can make someone smile, that’s one of the greatest satisfactions,” said Dorae Bowen.
Cottonwood bark house
Dorae Bowen shows a house she carved from cottonwood bark.
Tree stump elves
Using an old tree stump from a house she built in Oregon with her husband, Gordon, Dorae Bowen carved out a magical space for elves to bake and wrap Christmas presents.
Elves in the stump
Busy preparing for Christmas.
Special cargo
In this sculpture, an elf loads a Christmas package into a sleigh.
Christmas mood indicator
On one side, it has the face of a Santa. On the other, a Grinch.
Not slowing down
Dorae Bowen said she used to work at least six hours a day in her workshop after retirement. As for how long it takes to finish a sculpture, she said it depends on many factors — the pose of the subject, plus the number of angles and details.
Santa vs. Grinch
More Christmas-related carvings in Dorae Bowen's workshop
Republican & Democrat
“I’m getting ready for the political race,” said Dorae Bowen.
Squeezins
Another case of before-and-after in Dorae Bowen's workshop — or, in this case, is it after-and-before?
Fishing tales
Dorae Bowen said the fisherman she is holding is telling those who will listen the fish he caught was as big as both arms extended out at his sides, but really, what he caught can fit in one hand.
A painter
Not confined to one medium, Dorae Bowen also paints with watercolors. Here she is in the studio of her Delavan home.
Artist of the month
Dorae Bowen recently had her paintings on display in the Lake Geneva Public Library as an artist of the month. Here is a woodland scene she painted involving a rabbit.
Oregon coast
Dorae Bowen's watercolor painting of the coast of Oregon. She used to live there, as well as other states throughout the U.S. — and she lived in Germany for nine years.
Steve Targo
Special Sections Coordinator
Coming up: Irish Fest, haunted hayrides & a celebration of the autumnal equinox in Library Park.
From Prime Timers: Bloomfield's Steven Phillips was only going to make about 15 masks, then quit. Now he's at over 1,000, and he's not stopping.
Delavan's Dorae Bowen finds joy in carving out the details of her wooden creations.
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