Featured work by Richard Rowan

One of my earliest memories of being an artist is when I was 6 years old painting with poster paints at the kitchen table while the family were fixed in front of the TV. Using stolen architectural (just finished) drawings of my Dads I would be filling in all the rooms in colour and drawing people stood next to the buildings. I’ve never seen my Dad so upset and angry, but he is now my biggest fan.

From a design and fine art background in Northampton I went on to win the Daily Mail’s ‘Artist of the Year’ award in 1992. After finishing my training I found an artist life very difficult to establish and a designer’s one very frustrating. So after this I found myself in the motor sport business ranging from world rally to formula one – travelling worldwide for the next 5 years. Having seen so much of the world whilst doing this it changed my whole outlook on life, but I never put down my drawing pad constantly sketching cars and scenery at any spare moment. Never feeling quite at home constantly living out of a suitcase, I would produce art pieces when back at home and sell at local galleries which then brought in commissions from various people. Leaving the race track and ‘go go’ lifestyle behind has changed everything for me.

For the last 3 years I have devoted all of my time to art on glass which is my preferred medium, using a unique style of oil painting as opposed to the more traditional canvas or board.