BIOGRAPHY
Born: Northampton (1974) Lives and works: Surrey Awards: Daily Mail ‘Artist of the Year’ (1992) Exhibitions: Aurora Borealis (2018)
From braving the Icelandic wilderness to traversing the towering mountains of Norway, Richard Rowan’s glass landscapes are fuelled by a passion for nature and travel. Known for his reverse technique of painting – in which he paints backwards on the opposite side of a sheet of a glass – the Surrey-based artist says he is on a constant learning curve. The medium enables Richard to achieve a much smoother gradient and colour spectrum than canvas, in turn bringing his natural phenomena to life. His unconventional method was honed using glass from the local tip whilst working at Formula One. Inspired by the art of J.M.W. Turner, the former designer became fascinated by the power of light and sought to capture it. He explains: “Instead of painting with acrylics, decorating paints or inks – in my eyes an abomination – I discovered the reflection of light. It was in this moment that my life started.” Previous works, including Aurora Borealis , have seen Richard reveal the beauty of lightning and chase the elusive northern lights. Working from sketches and drawings, he paints the foreground in oils first. The glass is then baked in a makeshift box, where it dries out over two weeks. Following this, he scratches out the paint to add detail. Richard says: “I am inspired by the magnificence and splendour of the natural environment. By capturing the movement of light, I try to encourage my viewers to feel as if they are in the moment.”
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