About
BEHIND THE CANVAS
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​​Born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico, full-time graphic designer Magda Bowen became interested in art at a very early age. As a child she would spend long hours drawing, lost in a world of her own. A self-taught painter, one of her most favorite themes is Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Her vivid style of realism is seen in her loose, physical brushwork. Her bright bizarre colors and dramatic, fantastical images reflect an inspiration from native Mexican art.
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Her fierce spirit and energy are captured in her intensely brilliant yellows, oranges, with greens, and chilling blues. Her paintings are a celebration of life and heritage. Artists Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Vincent Van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin influence her. Her work is published in “Chicano Art For Our Millennium” 2004 and “Triumph Of Our Communities” 2005 Bilingual Press. She was also featured in New Mexico Magazine November 2009 issue. She attended college in Austin, Texas and earned a degree in Commercial Art.

Being self-taught, my paintings are ”work in progress”. As an artist, I feel my pieces are never completed. I always see flaws in my art. I stop working on a particular piece when I get a true feeling of accomplishment. I choose to display “my work in progress” as is, with all its defects.
My favorite color is yellow, because it reminds me of sunshine, a smile or a warm hug. My compositions include, cool colors which give a feel of somberness and are balanced by adding yellow hues."
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Growing up celebrating Dia de los Muertos
Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico on November, 1. Some of the traditional foods are tamales, bread (pan de muerto), and champurrado (a thick base concoction made with corn, cinnamon and molasses served like hot chocolate). It is a custom to visit the local cemetery and pay respects to our loved ones who have passed away. When I was four, I lost my two-year old sister, I remember visiting her grave site in Chihuahua on this holiday every year.
Crowds filled cemeteries. Vendors lined near by streets selling food, flowers, sugar skulls and other trinkets with skeleton figures. People gathered around grave sites singing folk songs and praying. After our visit, I always felt my beloved departed closer to my heart.
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