Opening words

I’ve always considered myself somewhat of an artist. I grew up around art, courtesy of my mother’s art history degree, and all of our trips, vacations, whatever, featured notable art exhibits or museums. It is because of this that I have found a feeling of home in creation. I loved all of

The National Gallery from Wikimedia Commons

my middle and elementary school art classes because they reminded me of the time I spent with my mother.

I continued with my art education in high school, where, for the first year, we quickly dabbled in different styles and mediums of art, from geometric tiles to recycled trash sculpture. These shallow dives taught me the basics of each medium and allowed me to determine both my strengths and preferences. Now, I was also incredibly shy and very nervous about showing anyone the things that I had created, so I focused on a medium, sculpture, that I was good at, but was not particularly excited about.

A concept sketch from a few years ago

In my 3D art class, I learn to love the abstract. Dividing figures down to their most basic shapes, while also communicating both an action and an emotion was by far my favorite exercise.  It was here that I was able to understand and apply the elements and principles of art and design. This class also showed me that although I enjoyed making sculptures, I wasn’t particularly passionate about any of the pieces I had created. I found pleasure in the technique and the theory of the art, but the actual product was worthless to me. So, I decided to start over the next year and learn to draw and paint. There, I really focused on the fundamentals of perspective and accurate linework, which allowed me to create accurate sketches and plan my pieces more thoroughly.

Now I’m looking for my style. As I start a new period of my life, I know that what I once liked and tried to emulate will no longer reflect my experiences. Armed with my background in basics, I hope to use these skills to find a way to express myself through my artwork in a way that is meaningful (maybe not to the world, but at the very least, to me).  This blog will hopefully document this experience. I plan on documenting my thought process in choosing a new medium, the many trials I’ll have before I find a good style, my inspirations, and my reasoning.

So, welcome to my art blog! I hope you enjoy the art and the information.

3 thoughts on “Opening words”

  1. Right from the start, your blog stood out to me because I, too am the product of an artistically talented parent. My mom is an art teacher, so I’ve also been exposed to that sort of thing from the very beginning. I’m curious, did you ever feel like you were expected to be artistically gifted because of your mom’s background? I for one, did.
    I’m very excited to see the updates on your blog, and to be able to see some of your work.

  2. Wow, Rowan! You sound like a talented person who is willing to explore the world of creativity without hesitation, which is fantastic! I am not an artistic person and I struggle to express myself in the form of mediums, like the ones you mentioned in your post; however, I am capable of expressing myself in other ways. The vast differences in peoples’ self-expression is mesmerizing to me and I look forward to reading more posts about your form of self-expression! I also praise you for trying something new when something you were originally tampering with did not feel right to you. Lots of people fear the idea of stepping outside their comfort zone or trying something new because the end results are never concrete. To me, however, I believe that exploring the unknown is a beneficial experience because it can teach people important lessons and may open more doors of opportunity. It sounds like that you have experienced this and I’m glad you found something that interests you in return. Good luck with seeking your own artistic style and I am excited to continue reading your posts!

  3. This is so incredibly unique! Art is a true form of therapy for me, even though I am not the best at it (hahaha)! The flow of this piece is incredibly smooth and easy to understand, coming from someone who isn’t well-versed in artistry vocabulary. Also, I think the concept sketch of yours that you included is insanely beautiful. You are so talented! I can’t wait to see more of your work and watch your journey over the next few months!

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