Today we’d like to introduce you to Rowan Bathurst
Hi Rowan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Baltimore City and went to a strict Catholic school. We had no art or creative classes there, so my first introduction to drawing and painting started at my public high school, when I was 16. Once I began painting, I knew right away that this was what I was meant to be doing. Nothing ever clicked with me until that point, I realized I never loved something as much as making art. From that moment onwards, art became my obsession and passion. I went to Community College of Baltimore County after high school, where I worked multiple jobs and built a portfolio, it was what I needed at the time to learn more about art history, try different mediums, and also to save money. After 3 years, I transferred to Maryland Institute College of Art where I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Painting and Art History. At the same time, I began working as an artist at Charm City Cakes, which was the first job I had that allowed me to be creative full time, this fueled my drive for my studio practice even more.
A turning point in my life was when I went to an artist residency in São Paulo, Brazil. For the first time in my life, I was able to make art without breaking away for work or school. This changed the thematic structure of my paintings and in turn I became more focused on consistency, discipline and meaning. This is also where I met my partner, who is also an artist. We share a love for traveling and we took time after this residency to backpack in some countries, which we still do from time to time. Traveling has deeply influenced my work as a painter, and you can find artifacts and landscapes from my travels in almost all of my works. When I came back to Baltimore, I continued working at CCC for a few years, slowly decreasing my weekly hours until I quit and decided to focus on my studio practice and mural work full time. Fast forward two years and now I am happily working between Baltimore and São Paulo.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was not a smooth road at all, especially in the first few years working independently as an artist. There were so many times I thought, “I should just get a regular job and not worry so much.” But that is what I did for years, working in restaurants, nannying, anything to fund my art practice. And that is really ok to do, I realized that I would just need to work two jobs- the one that pays the bills and the one that fuels my heart. I had to remind myself – quite a lot – that I can make this happen. I needed to learn how to schedule my time, to paint when I’m not inspired, and to wear so many hats that I didn’t know comes with being an artist. Administration, social media coordinator, networking representative, grant and application writer, figuring out taxes and so on.
But I quickly learned that once you put your energy into something, there is bound to be a reaction that comes from it. And the momentum of your career slowly builds, it ebbs and flows too, but as long as you keep moving forward with an open mind and with drive, I see how rewarding the effort in has been.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am definitely a painter through and through, on canvas and whatever size wall is in front of me. I was taught oil painting before trying out acrylic, so my brain automatically works in that traditional way of applying paint. A quick wash of one color, messy outline, dark to light layering, and gestural brush strokes. This applies to most of my murals as well. I’ve always liked working large scale, and when I was younger, I would paint on any wall or flat object that was given to me. Now I am painting murals that younger me would be baffled by, I’m deeply grateful for that.
As far as subject matter, I have always been attracted to art history, I think it stemmed from my love for The Magic Treehouse books when I was a kid, which allowed me to ‘travel’ to parts of the world and learn of ancient cultures and places. Venus figurines have been prominent in my work since I started painting, specifically the Venus of Wilendorf. They have symbolized a maternal and ‘guardian angel’ type of presence for the present day women that are in the spaces with them. My painting practice is also inspired by sisterhood, through my friendships and my family. I paint the women in my life through various scenarios, often leaning towards surrealistic compositions. They all include bright colors, dreamy landscapes, historical significance, joy and celebration.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Playing anywhere outside with my brother, we loved to build forts with sticks, run in a field to some made up game, finding random objects to be our toys and letting our imaginations go wild. My grandfather teaching me how to swim was also significant, I remember never wanting to leave the bay after I got the hang of it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rowanbathurst.com
- Instagram: @rowanbathurst
