Richard Rowan | New Horizons

FOREWORD

continues to be, an untrodden path, a journey of self-improvement and scientific discovery at every twist and turn. Every landscape he produces is not only a beautiful snapshot of whatever horizon he chooses to capture - from glacial Nordic fjords to sunsets over the Serengeti - but an exercise in skill, a display of craftsmanship to be much admired. Be assured, Rowan’s intention is not to impress or confound, but to comfort. In creating work that brings to life the beauty of the natural world, he aims to right the equilibrium of society today, to soothe the wounds caused to our common human spirit by atrocities and disasters too numerous to mention. In doing so, he hopes to transport us to places where warfare, famine and cruelty cannot follow. We are invited to relax into his world, to bask in his peaceful yet striking landscapes, and meditate towards a zen state, free of everyday burdens. In his words; “Embrace the painting, and the painting will embrace you.” This collection is a ticket to round the world travel, a portal to destinations far and wide, escapism on your wall.

Two years on from his acclaimed last collection Dusk Dawn , Richard Rowan has cast his gaze towards the stars to bring us New Horizons ; a body of work that gifts us his established and recognisable representation of stunning landscapes, with an otherworldly quality. Inspired by his fascination with space exploration, and the recently launched space probe of the same name, New Horizons serves as a reminder to look beyond the immediate, and to continue the search for knowledge and enlightenment. Rowan’s work continues to do battle with the impossible, to encapsulate the infinite and define the intangible. This theme is consistent not just through his subject matter, but in his methodology, which baffles and intrigues in equal measure. Much like his much admired astronauts, Rowan has also chosen to boldly go where no man has gone before, invoking techniques not used by any others artists. However, that prestige is not without its ensuing challenges; in encountering a technical conundrum, he has no one to ask, no reference text to consult. His career has been, and

without hesitation: “Enlightenment. Without a doubt. My children were scared of thunderstorms, and I wanted to help them turn their fear into an appreciation of nature. I wanted them to see the beauty that I see...so we started chasing storms, photographing them and then painting them.” Despite travelling extensively both in his former career in motor sports, and in his pursuit of his craft, space remains an unconquered frontier, and an endless source of inspiration for Rowan. In an effort to do justice to its magnitude, on one painting alone he painstakingly added in 2,500 stars with the tip of a scalpel. Taking into account the precision required through the painstaking technique that Rowan uses, this is no small undertaking. Ironically, as the artist himself admits, “The better the piece, the less people notice the level of detail...their eye is taken with the complete picture.” However, it matters not to Rowan if viewers are engrossed by the detail, charmed by the image or awed by his technique; if his work has the power to elevate our mood and provide respite from the world around us, he has succeeded.

New Horizons carries within it not only the promise of faraway lands, but also the warmth and comfort of an element much closer to home, and infinitely more relatable; family. Rowan’s love for his wider family and friends radiates through to us throughout this collection. Take the time to notice the flight of birds in these pieces. Where you see two bigger birds and two smaller birds, you are in fact looking at Rowan’s depiction of him, his wife and their two children, happily together as a strong family unit. One bigger bird with the smaller ones symbolise times that Rowan’s work has demanded time away from his family, and is his way of showing that they are still in his thoughts. Similarly, in pieces where we see a flock of birds, we know that Rowan has captured a moment spent enjoying the company friends and family, and has painted that recognition into his piece to cement a memory that holds such happiness for him. There is a certain privilege afforded to us that we are gifted not only with these paintings, but a glimpse into Rowan’s family album, his diary, his most precious of times. When asked if any piece holds particular meaning for him, the answer came

AURORA Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 33cm x 76cm

SUSPENDED IN TIME Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 65cm x 40cm

ILLUSION OF STABI LITY Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

“With our busy lives, it’s all too easy to forget to appreciate the world around us…” - RICHARD ROWAN

OUR SMALL HOME Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 16cm x 24cm

ESCAPE TO TOMORROW Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 65cm x 40cm

NEW EDEN I Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

“You see without assistance from the eyes, over distances beyond the visual horizon.” - CHARLES A. LINDBERG

TRANSITION Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 33cm x 76cm

HIDDEN WONDER Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

FUTURESCAPE Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 89cm x 128cm

EXISTENTIAL DIVIDE Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

FINDING THE BEAUTY Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

“The clouds rush dark and wild They fleck with shade our mountain heights The same as long ago And on the horizon rest at last In looming masses piled” - EMILY BRONTE

UPON THE SHORE Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 16cm x 24cm

WITNESS Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

THE BROKEN PROMISE Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

NURTURING EARTH Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 16cm x 24cm

FEEL ALIVE Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 16cm x 24cm

“I am the horizon you ride towards, the thing you can never lasso” - MARGARET ATWOOD

MIDNIGHT SUN Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 16cm x 24cm

FROM THE SOUL Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 44cm x 95cm

NATURAL TOUCH Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 26cm x 100cm

SWEET EMOTION Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 16cm x 24cm

“The horizon leans forward, Offering you space to place new steps of change” - MAYA ANGELOU

TAKEN FOR GRANTED Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 25cm x 98cm

ENLIGHTENMENT Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 63cm x 63cm

BOLT FROM THE BLUE Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

COLOSSUS Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 64cm x 64cm

IMPETUS Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 50cm x 50cm

STREAM OF THE SOUL Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 64cm x 100cm

DREAM WITHIN Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 33cm x 76cm

“These scenes transport me to places of beauty when I’m working on them - I hope they do the same for those viewing them.” - RICHARD ROWAN

JOURNEY WEST Original Oil On Glass | Image Size 32cm x 80cm

BIOGRAPHY

giving Richard Rowan a constant flow of inspiration which he enjoys exploring.

From a design and fine art background, after finishing his artist’s training, Richard found an artist’s life very difficult to establish and a designer’s one very frustrating. Richard ended up in the motor sport business ranging from world rally to Formula 1 – travelling worldwide for the next five years. Having seen so much of the world Richard’s whole outlook on life changed; he never put down his drawing pad, constantly sketching cars and scenery. Never feeling quite at home and constantly living out of a suitcase, Richard would produce art pieces when back at home and sell them at local galleries, this leading to commissions. Leaving the race track and ‘go go’ lifestyle behind changed everything for Richard and he has since devoted all of his time to art on glass, his preferred medium, using a unique style of oil painting. Landscapes and skies are constantly changing,

Richard sketches many scenes in the countryside which he records in a book, as well as taking digital images. His reference material contains anything from scenes of the Lake District to Hanoi. When back in the studio, Richard uses these images to transport himself back to these stunning locations and plan out a design of the picture to develop on glass. Richard likes to challenge himself with difficult work, commenting that “painting oil on glass can make you want to tear your hair out”, but is also satisfying at the same time. When he sits down to paint, he wants to paint better than the last time; pushing the boundaries of what he can do. Once he finishes a painting, he wants people to look at the piece, be drawn in and find themselves lost in his work.

The images contained within this literature are an artistic representation of the collection. To best experience our art, we recommend you contact your local gallery to arrange a viewing. © Washington Green 2015. The content of this brochure is subject to copyright and no part can be reproduced without prior permission