He joined the Positano Art Workshop as an Artist in Residence and spent two years there. Returning to New York, he managed to live on his art, selling directly from his loft studio to those admirable young singles and couples who, as though tithing, thought it only right to spend a portion of their earnings on art.

Ivan Karp, then at Leo Castelli, "liked" Dowling's work "immensely" and did nice things for him; group shows and traveling exhibits and such, but no show at Castelli. But, his painting, "Women in America," flanked by a Katz and a deKoening, was prominetly featured in the show, "The Dominant Woman," at Finch, so he was happy.

He took time to go to California and work with his friend Alix Taylor Robertson of the Draco Foundation hoping to create an artist's retreat in the mountains near Lone Pine. The Bureau of Land Management, deciding that art and music had no place in this beautiful, restful spot, took over the land.

Back in New York, he was welcomed to the Banfer Gallery. Then the City of New York condemned his loft building to give the land to N.Y.U. and put him and his possessions out on the street. For a year he was homeless until a slot opened up at Westbeth.

For the Goddard-Riverside Community Center, he was pleased to select and install the exhibit, "West Side Artists," and he has worked on other similiar projects.