Andrea Kowch was born in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from the College for Creative Studies with a BFA in 2009. Prior to her college training she was already a nationally awarded artist, winning seven regional Gold Key awards and two Gold Medal awards from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program for teens in 2003. Her art has been exhibited in several museums and galleries and featured in juried publications, including Spectrum and Direct Art, as well as gracing the covers of The Artist’s Magazine and American Art Collector.
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Through the Boughs features Kowch’s characteristic dreamlike, romantic narratives. There is a sense of timelessness and nostalgia to her paintings, which typically feature young women dressed in vintage clothing set in mysterious landscapes and interiors filled with symbols and metaphor. This painting is based on a landscape outside of Romeo, Michigan, where Kowch currently lives. The tree plays a prominent role in the theme of the work, as the artist comments:
"Trees have always been a source of fascination for me. They invite feelings of mysticism and magic as I imagine all the history they’ve witnessed, all the storms they’ve weathered, and all the shelter they provide for living things. In this painting, I focus on the solitary beauty, strength, and romance that trees so often evoke."
The model, a childhood friend of the artist, echoes the sentiments of strength and quiet endurance.