Up-and-coming artist and avid outdoorsman, Anthony Bowes found a way to combine his two passions. Over the course of eight weeks, Anthony explored and painted unique scenes along the Virginia Capital Trail. He auctioned off each artwork on social media at the end of the week, eight stunning oil paintings in all, raising a total of $2,600 in support of the VA Capital Trail! Anthony donated all of his proceeds to the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation to support their mission to protect, promote, and enhance the Virginia Capital Trail, and to serve as a resource, community builder, and connector to other trails throughout the Commonwealth. By painting along the Trail, Anthony hoped to draw attention to the beautiful state of Virginia and bring awareness of the amazing community resource that is right here in our own backyard.
“We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Anthony. We loved seeing his artwork unveiled each week, a new oil painting capturing a different section of the Virginia Capital Trail,” shares Cat Anthony. “We can’t thank Anthony enough for supporting the work we do and sharing his incredible talent with us. It was a great privelege to work with him on this project. I look forward to seeing more of his artwork as he travels across the country.”
Anthony shared his Cap Trail painting experience with us. Check out his interview below.
CAPITAL TRAIL EXPERIENCE
“My favorite part about painting along the Cap Trail was getting to see how many people use it on a daily basis. To know that each person whether they realized it or not was going to benefit a little bit from my paintings and the money they raised was a huge reward in itself.”
Were there any challenges?
“Yes, there are always unique challenges to painting outdoors! I got rained out mid-painting once or twice, got sunburnt, and had some mean hiker hunger. There was also framing, shipping, and making sure each painting arrived safely to its new home. All the fun behind the scenes stuff!”
Would you have done anything differently?
“If I could have changed anything about the project, I would have started earlier in the year so that I could have made more paintings before my travel schedule picked up. Secondly, I would have tried Indian Fields Tavern, gone to Bottoms Up, and eaten at Culs Courthouse Grill a few more times. “
Did you discover anything new about the Cap Trail or surrounding area?
“One thing that I thought was cool, was how quickly the James River starts to look coastal outside of Richmond City around Charles City and Williamsburg. There are also bunches of beautiful spots surrounding the trail like Lawrence Lewis Jr Park, Jordan Point, Chickahominy Riverfront Park, Jamestown Beach, the Great Shiplock Park, and Libby Hill.”
New Horizons & Goals
“Coming up next are several Plein Air Painting events that will have me running around the east coast and then out west. There is Suffolk VA, Harford MD, and Texas to name a few. And I just wrapped up one in Blowing Rock NC that was a blast! Some of my long term goals include; having my work in the Prix de West, owning a gallery space where I can showcase my friends work and share my love of fine art with others, building out a program that develops positive character traits in others, and ultimately continuing to pursue the best version of myself that I can be. “
TRAIL COMMUNITY
“One thing that I was reminded of during this project is that when you sharpen your physical health, your mind is close to follow. I love seeing the dedication and mental toughness of the trail community. Rain or shine, you will find people committed to their goals out on the trail putting in the work. When I share my passion for the outdoors, I want it to be the foot in the door that leads people to spend time reconnecting to nature, challenging themselves physically, and building a mindset that thrives on adversity. “
“I would like to take a moment to thank everyone that participated in our auctions and helped to raise awareness for the Cap Trail. We could not have done it without you and I am extremely grateful and humbled by all the kind words, shares, and generous bids that helped to make this project the success that it was. Thank you all so much.”
- Anthony Bowes
ANTHONY’S CAPITAL TRAIL PAINTINGS
Be sure to check out Anthony’s website: www.anthonybowes.net
And follow him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/anthonybowesa
