Busacca Gallery

Geoff Mowery (American, b. 1945) Squirrel and Rabbit, 1983 Egg tempera on tempered Masonite panel, signed and dated 1983 in the lower right corner. Matted and framed under glass. Overall dimensions: 21" × 27 7/8" Panel size: 13" × 20" Condition: Good Geoff Mowery’s earliest work was distinctly wintery in tone. He conducted nearly all of his observations of animals in their natural habitats, where they were most easily seen against the stark white of snowy landscapes. This environment allowed him to study form, movement, and character with exceptional clarity and sensitivity. Our mission is to discover and present exceptional art by sourcing a wide range of contemporary, vintage, antique, and collectible works from across the globe. Each piece is individually handcrafted and thoughtfully curated, allowing us to breathe new life into overlooked and forgotten works by restoring and sharing their unique stories. All artworks are carefully edited and selected by us for their superior quality and craftsmanship before being offered. These collectibles are chosen with both the artist and the collector in mind. We are committed to enriching our clients’ lives by discovering, creating, and highlighting only the finest art available today. We are taste-makers, art advisers, consultants, and publishers of compelling art stories. Acting as trusted intermediaries between buyers and sellers, we rigorously vet works for discerning, high-end art patrons. Our goal is to catalog the world’s most exceptional art and make it accessible to everyone.

Geoff Mowery came of age as an artist during a period when realism was often dismissed in favor of abstraction and conceptual art. Rather than follow prevailing trends, Mowery chose a quieter, more disciplined path—one rooted in direct observation, patience, and an almost reverential attention to the natural world. Working primarily in rural and winter landscapes, he spent long hours studying animals in their own environments, often in snow-covered terrain where movement and form became sharply defined against the blankness of white. It was in these silent, frozen settings that Mowery developed his distinctive visual language. Small mammals—rabbits, squirrels, birds—became central characters in his work, not as sentimental subjects but as resilient survivors of harsh climates. His choice of egg tempera, an ancient and demanding medium, further reinforced this sense of timelessness. The slow, methodical process required by tempera mirrored the artist’s own working rhythm: deliberate, contemplative, and precise. Mowery’s paintings possess an unusual stillness. They capture a fleeting moment when nature seems to pause, allowing the viewer to step into a world governed by instinct rather than noise or speed. This restraint set him apart from many of his contemporaries and earned him a devoted following among collectors who valued craftsmanship, authenticity, and emotional subtlety. Over time, Mowery’s work came to be appreciated not simply for its technical mastery, but for its quiet defiance of artistic fashion. His paintings remind us that observation itself can be radical—that slowing down, looking closely, and honoring the natural world is a powerful act. Today, his work stands as a testament to an artist who trusted his own vision, choosing depth over spectacle and permanence over trend.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempera

Tempera, also known as egg tempera, is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium (usually a glutinous material such as egg yolk or some other size). Tempera also refers to the paintings done in this medium. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the 1st centuries AD still exist. Egg tempera was a primary method of painting until after 1500 when it was superseded by the invention of oil painting. A paint consisting of pigment and glue size commonly used in the United States as poster paint is also often referred to as "tempera paint," although the binders and sizes in this paint are different from traditional tempera paint.