Leslie W. Bowman facts for kids

Leslie W. Bowman (born in 1949) is an American artist. She is famous for her paintings and illustrations. She is especially known for painting portraits of people.

Early Life and Art School

Leslie Bowman was born in New York City. She grew up in Westport, Connecticut. She loved art from a young age.

She went to the Rhode Island School of Design. There, she studied illustration and photography. She earned her degree in 1971. After college, in the early 1970s, she moved to Minnesota. She still lives and teaches art there today.

Her Art Career

Leslie Bowman started her career as an illustrator. This means she drew pictures for books. Her first published work was in 1987. She illustrated a book called The House in the Snow. She also drew pictures for other books, like The Night the Bells Rang and Night of the Full Moon.

Later in her career, Leslie started focusing more on portraits. A portrait is a painting or drawing of a person. She became very good at capturing how people look.

Painting Important People

Leslie Bowman has painted portraits of many important people. She has created official portraits for six members of the United States House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is part of the United States government. These portraits are displayed in the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

She painted people who were leaders of important groups in the House. For example, she painted Collin Peterson. He was the chairman of the group that deals with farming. She also painted Paul Ryan, who led the group that handles the government's money plans.

Her artwork is also found in other important places. The Minnesota Supreme Court owns some of her paintings. She painted Rosalie Wahl, who was a justice on that court. Her art is also at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Books She Illustrated

Leslie Bowman has illustrated many books for young readers. Here are some of the books she helped bring to life with her artwork:

• The House in the Snow by M.J. Engh (1987)
• El Güero: A True Adventure Story by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño (1989)
• The Canada Geese Quilt by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock (1989)
• The Night the Bells Rang by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock (1991)
• Hannah by Gloria Whelan (1991)
• Night of the Full Moon by Gloria Whelan (1993)
• The Cuckoo Child by Dick King-Smith (1993)