Untitled (Magenta Plume), c.1980s, by American abstract artist Don Bowman (b.1934) is a signed 36 x 26 in. oil on paper
Untitled (Magenta Plume) is a luminous vintage abstract painting on paper by Don Bowman, a mid-century American abstract expressionist known for his free-flow oil technique. In this large 36 x 26 inch composition, veils of magenta, rose, and lilac unfurl upward like translucent petals or a plume of color, anchored by layered emerald and sage green leaf-like forms at the base. The overlapping passages of thinned oil paint create soft edges and subtle feathering, giving the image a floating, almost botanical presence that hovers between lyrical abstraction and stylized floral study. Painted on heavy paper, the work showcases Bowman’s signature process of carefully controlling the movement of fluid oil pigment, allowing it to pool, fan, and blend without hard outlines—a method he developed after years of work in screen printing and experimental painting on paper. The surface is matte and velvety, with distinct striations where the pigment has flowed and settled. Signed “Don Bowman” in pencil at the lower right, this one-of-a-kind oil on paper dates to approximately the 1980s, a mature period in which Bowman’s abstract paper works and mixed-media constructions were being acquired by private collectors and presented by galleries in California and New York. Overall very good vintage condition with minor age-appropriate toning and light handling marks toward the margins, ready for archival matting and framing.
Artist biography – Don Bowman (American, b.1934)
Don Bowman (born 1934) is an American abstract painter and sculptor whose career has centered on experimental works on paper, mixed-media collage, and abstract expressionist painting. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, where his talent for drawing and color was recognized early, and he later pursued formal art studies at Lincoln University in Missouri, focusing on design, color theory, and both commercial and fine art practice. After university he worked professionally in commercial art while maintaining a studio practice, an experience that sharpened his sensitivity to surface, layering, and controlled color transitions.
By the late 1950s and 1960s Bowman had turned decisively toward abstraction, becoming deeply engaged with screen printing, watercolors, and oil on paper. Gallery and dealer descriptions, as well as subsequent market records, consistently describe him as an abstract expressionist and abstract paper artist, active in California, where he has lived and worked for decades.
Bowman gradually developed the technique for which he is best known: the expert manipulation of free-flowing oil paint on paper. Working horizontally, he pours or lays down diluted pigment in broad arcs and bands, then tilts and guides the sheet so that the paint moves, fans, and feathers across the surface, creating soft-edged forms that read as atmospheric landscapes, plumes, or stylized botanical shapes. Gallery texts and sales records emphasize that each work is unique, with its layered color fields and gradients impossible to duplicate exactly.
Over the decades Bowman has produced oils, watercolors, serigraphs, and mixed-media 3D paper collages, many of which have appeared at regional auction houses and galleries in California and the Midwest. His works have entered numerous private and corporate collections, and he is regularly noted in reference sites such as AskArt and Invaluable as an American abstract expressionist and “abstract paper art” specialist.
Pieces like Untitled (Magenta Plume) exemplify Bowman’s mature voice: non-objective yet suggestive of landscape or floral forms, built from flowing ribbons of color and subtle tonal shifts. The painting likely belongs to the same 1980s period as other 36 x 26 inch oil-on-paper works by Bowman, such as Untitled (Blue Atmospheric Study), 1982, which use similar dimensions, supports, and free-flow oil handling.
Don Bowman (American, b.1934)
Untitled (Magenta Plume), c.1980s
Oil on paper, 36 x 26 in. (sheet)
Signed “Don Bowman” lower right.
Vertical abstract composition of overlapping magenta and lavender plumes rising from layered green leaf-like forms, executed in Bowman’s characteristic free-flow oil technique. Acquired in New York City. Unframed. Very good vintage condition with minor toning and light handling marks to margins.
Provenance: Acquired in New York City; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
Certificate of Authentication
Artist: Don Bowman (American, b.1934)
Title: Untitled (Magenta Plume) (attributed title)
Date: c.1980s
Medium: Oil on paper
Dimensions: 36 x 26 in. (sheet)
Signature: Signed “Don Bowman” lower right in pencil
Support: Heavy wove paper
Description of Work:
Large vertical abstract oil on paper featuring layered, translucent plumes of magenta, rose, and lilac emerging from overlapping green and gray forms at the base. Executed using Bowman’s characteristic technique of controlling the free flow of diluted oil paint on paper, producing soft-edged gradients and feathered textures.
Attribution & Authenticity:
Based on direct examination of the materials, technique, and signature, and comparison with documented 36 x 26 in. oil-on-paper works by Don Bowman from the early 1980s, this painting is attributed to Don Bowman and is believed to have been created during his mature period of free-flow oil abstractions. Stylistic and technical characteristics are consistent with authenticated works by the artist, and the signature matches known examples.
Condition (at time of inspection):
Very good vintage condition overall; paper with light age toning and a few minor handling marks at the outer margins. No visible tears, losses, or restorations in the image area. Recommended for archival matting and UV-protective glazing.
Provenance (as reported):
Artist’s studio, Don Bowman (American, b.1934).
Private collection, New York City, acquired from a New York gallery (records not retained), c.1980s.
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (current owner).
Provenance chain Artist Studio: Don Bowman (American, b.1934).
Private Collection, New York City: Acquired from a New York gallery, c.1980s (exact dealer records not retained).
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC: Present owner and representative.
Untitled (Magenta Plume), c.1980s, by American abstract artist Don Bowman (b.1934) is a signed 36 x 26 in. oil on paper
Untitled (Magenta Plume) is a luminous vintage abstract painting on paper by Don Bowman, a mid-century American abstract expressionist known for his free-flow oil technique. In this large 36 x 26 inch composition, veils of magenta, rose, and lilac unfurl upward like translucent petals or a plume of color, anchored by layered emerald and sage green leaf-like forms at the base. The overlapping passages of thinned oil paint create soft edges and subtle feathering, giving the image a floating, almost botanical presence that hovers between lyrical abstraction and stylized floral study. Painted on heavy paper, the work showcases Bowman’s signature process of carefully controlling the movement of fluid oil pigment, allowing it to pool, fan, and blend without hard outlines—a method he developed after years of work in screen printing and experimental painting on paper. The surface is matte and velvety, with distinct striations where the pigment has flowed and settled. Signed “Don Bowman” in pencil at the lower right, this one-of-a-kind oil on paper dates to approximately the 1980s, a mature period in which Bowman’s abstract paper works and mixed-media constructions were being acquired by private collectors and presented by galleries in California and New York. Overall very good vintage condition with minor age-appropriate toning and light handling marks toward the margins, ready for archival matting and framing.
Artist biography – Don Bowman (American, b.1934)
Don Bowman (born 1934) is an American abstract painter and sculptor whose career has centered on experimental works on paper, mixed-media collage, and abstract expressionist painting. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, where his talent for drawing and color was recognized early, and he later pursued formal art studies at Lincoln University in Missouri, focusing on design, color theory, and both commercial and fine art practice. After university he worked professionally in commercial art while maintaining a studio practice, an experience that sharpened his sensitivity to surface, layering, and controlled color transitions.
By the late 1950s and 1960s Bowman had turned decisively toward abstraction, becoming deeply engaged with screen printing, watercolors, and oil on paper. Gallery and dealer descriptions, as well as subsequent market records, consistently describe him as an abstract expressionist and abstract paper artist, active in California, where he has lived and worked for decades.
Bowman gradually developed the technique for which he is best known: the expert manipulation of free-flowing oil paint on paper. Working horizontally, he pours or lays down diluted pigment in broad arcs and bands, then tilts and guides the sheet so that the paint moves, fans, and feathers across the surface, creating soft-edged forms that read as atmospheric landscapes, plumes, or stylized botanical shapes. Gallery texts and sales records emphasize that each work is unique, with its layered color fields and gradients impossible to duplicate exactly.
Over the decades Bowman has produced oils, watercolors, serigraphs, and mixed-media 3D paper collages, many of which have appeared at regional auction houses and galleries in California and the Midwest. His works have entered numerous private and corporate collections, and he is regularly noted in reference sites such as AskArt and Invaluable as an American abstract expressionist and “abstract paper art” specialist.
Pieces like Untitled (Magenta Plume) exemplify Bowman’s mature voice: non-objective yet suggestive of landscape or floral forms, built from flowing ribbons of color and subtle tonal shifts. The painting likely belongs to the same 1980s period as other 36 x 26 inch oil-on-paper works by Bowman, such as Untitled (Blue Atmospheric Study), 1982, which use similar dimensions, supports, and free-flow oil handling.
Don Bowman (American, b.1934)
Untitled (Magenta Plume), c.1980s
Oil on paper, 36 x 26 in. (sheet)
Signed “Don Bowman” lower right.
Vertical abstract composition of overlapping magenta and lavender plumes rising from layered green leaf-like forms, executed in Bowman’s characteristic free-flow oil technique. Acquired in New York City. Unframed. Very good vintage condition with minor toning and light handling marks to margins.
Provenance: Acquired in New York City; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
Certificate of Authentication
Artist: Don Bowman (American, b.1934)
Title: Untitled (Magenta Plume) (attributed title)
Date: c.1980s
Medium: Oil on paper
Dimensions: 36 x 26 in. (sheet)
Signature: Signed “Don Bowman” lower right in pencil
Support: Heavy wove paper
Description of Work:
Large vertical abstract oil on paper featuring layered, translucent plumes of magenta, rose, and lilac emerging from overlapping green and gray forms at the base. Executed using Bowman’s characteristic technique of controlling the free flow of diluted oil paint on paper, producing soft-edged gradients and feathered textures.
Attribution & Authenticity:
Based on direct examination of the materials, technique, and signature, and comparison with documented 36 x 26 in. oil-on-paper works by Don Bowman from the early 1980s, this painting is attributed to Don Bowman and is believed to have been created during his mature period of free-flow oil abstractions. Stylistic and technical characteristics are consistent with authenticated works by the artist, and the signature matches known examples.
Condition (at time of inspection):
Very good vintage condition overall; paper with light age toning and a few minor handling marks at the outer margins. No visible tears, losses, or restorations in the image area. Recommended for archival matting and UV-protective glazing.
Provenance (as reported):
Artist’s studio, Don Bowman (American, b.1934).
Private collection, New York City, acquired from a New York gallery (records not retained), c.1980s.
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (current owner).
Provenance chain Artist Studio: Don Bowman (American, b.1934).
Private Collection, New York City: Acquired from a New York gallery, c.1980s (exact dealer records not retained).
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC: Present owner and representative.
Image 1 of 10
Image 2 of 10
Image 3 of 10
Image 4 of 10
Image 5 of 10
Image 6 of 10
Image 7 of 10
Image 8 of 10
Image 9 of 10
Image 10 of 10
