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. Leaving his fast paced lifestyle behind changed everything for Richard and he has since devoted all of his time to art. 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.
Richard makes fine oil paintings painted directly onto glass. Using an extraordinary technique of applying oil paints directly onto the reverse side of the glass, Richard Rowan creates these unique, romantic, landscapes.
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.
