About
ROWAN TALIESIN
EARLY YEARS
I was born under the constellation of Pisces, on the Dorset coast in 1961, and as a very young girl drew and painted whenever I could. I was ill a great deal during childhood, and would spend my recovery hours drawing and painting. I would design my own fashions and make up 'catalogues' out of sketch pads for these designs. I also loved to make my own paper dolls and the clothes to hang on them. Pencils, crayons and felt tip pens were the favoured tools for drawing and creating during my childhood, painting came later on, in my teens.
I always loved to paint what was in my imagination rather than the 'real world', as I have always been aware of realms other than the physical. In any case, I found the objective study of views, people etc. rather boring and pointless, always preferring what was in my head to outside of it! In my mid-teens I started to paint in watercolours and later, gouache. I have had no formal training, and prefer to go my own way, exploring and developing my work as my life's events have allowed.
DEVELOPMENT
Colour has always been the catalyst to put paint to paper, or canvas, and in 2006, after decades of working in gouache, I decided to explore acrylics and to paint on canvases. This was a revelation to me - and I have not looked back - preferring the textures, variety of techniques and the gorgeous dollops of pure colour, that working in acrylics allows!
In 2010 I started working in pastels, as the fabulous colours and immediacy of working with them gives a freshness and an impulsive quality - particularly good for abstract work, another departure for me from the usual figurative work. Textiles have also found a place in my heart, after several months of attending a lovely and informal group of women who spin, dye, weave and knit wool, sometimes from their own sheep or llamas. Also felting, embroidery and many other wonderful techniques for which there just aren't enough hours in the day!
INSPIRATIONS
I have a strong inner and spiritual life and was drawn over the course of many years to study astrology and meditation. Life has led me to study various paths, including Christianity, Wicca, Shamanism, and the Indian Yogic way. Healing, including Reiki and Rebirthing have also shaped my life, both as a personal tool for dealing with illness, and for helping others.
An interest in the occult, the spiritual and the downright weird has informed my work over the years. I love the psychedelic period of the late 1960s, and my work definitely has that flavour at times.
For me the act of painting is a spiritual practice and the visions and dreams that spring from my meditations fuel the need to put paint to canvas. Particular passions give enduring inspiration to my work, in the form of astrological lore, moon and animal symbolism, and especially goddess mythology. I delight in the mystical and magical, and my first sighting of the harewoman image was in Boscastle's Museum of Witchcraft. I have since discovered that this image is very ancient and can be found all over the world in various myths, and I believe the earliest records of the harewoman (and hareman) have been in ancient Egypt. This beautiful image of the goddess has been a powerful source of inspiration to me ever since.
In recent years I have increasingly come to view creating art as a healing process. My beautiful cat companions have, over the years, provided much inspiration, comfort and amusement - and so they also find their way into my paintings!
I have lived on the Wales/Shropshire border for 25 years, and have exhibited regularly with professional and amateur artists, The Borderland Visual Arts Group, and participated in Open Studios, an annual summer event, for several years.
FAVOURITE ARTISTS AND INFLUENCES
Salvador Dali - I bought my first book of his phenomenal paintings at age 8, and for me he remains the master, amongst many other marvellous artists - Escher, Magritte, most of the Surrealists infact, as well as spiritual artists such as William Blake, and Sulamith Wulfing, who painted and drew her visions of angels and fairies.
Later I met the paintings of Frida Kahlo and the pitiless honesty of many of her works deliver, for me, a powerful emotional strike. Rothko - whose paintings speak to me of colour healing, as well as Gauguin and his wonderful primal shapes and shimmering colour.
More recently, Susan Seddon Boulet, whose mysterious and beautiful goddess and shamanic paintings take my breath away. I am especially grateful to the long ago and unknown artists who painted cave walls with exquisite horses, deer and bison. The powerful and earthy creations of the Aboriginal artists of Australia, and the joyous, uninhibited colours and patterns of India - these and many more have spurred me on to create my own work, in various ways and I thank them all!
PAINTING MUSIC
I have my favourite music which is good to play whilst I am working, these are just a few of my favourites:
Brian Eno, Indian Ragas, Gabrielle Roth and the Mirrors, Joni Mitchell, Portico Quartet, Carolyn Hillyer and Nigel Shaw, Sheila Chandra, Deva Premal, Chopin, Peter Gabriel, Laraaji, Jonathan Goldman, Debussy, Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate....
My work is for sale and I am also available for commissions.
I hope you enjoy looking in my galleries!
Best Wishes
Rowan
EARLY YEARS
I was born under the constellation of Pisces, on the Dorset coast in 1961, and as a very young girl drew and painted whenever I could. I was ill a great deal during childhood, and would spend my recovery hours drawing and painting. I would design my own fashions and make up 'catalogues' out of sketch pads for these designs. I also loved to make my own paper dolls and the clothes to hang on them. Pencils, crayons and felt tip pens were the favoured tools for drawing and creating during my childhood, painting came later on, in my teens.
I always loved to paint what was in my imagination rather than the 'real world', as I have always been aware of realms other than the physical. In any case, I found the objective study of views, people etc. rather boring and pointless, always preferring what was in my head to outside of it! In my mid-teens I started to paint in watercolours and later, gouache. I have had no formal training, and prefer to go my own way, exploring and developing my work as my life's events have allowed.
DEVELOPMENT
Colour has always been the catalyst to put paint to paper, or canvas, and in 2006, after decades of working in gouache, I decided to explore acrylics and to paint on canvases. This was a revelation to me - and I have not looked back - preferring the textures, variety of techniques and the gorgeous dollops of pure colour, that working in acrylics allows!
In 2010 I started working in pastels, as the fabulous colours and immediacy of working with them gives a freshness and an impulsive quality - particularly good for abstract work, another departure for me from the usual figurative work. Textiles have also found a place in my heart, after several months of attending a lovely and informal group of women who spin, dye, weave and knit wool, sometimes from their own sheep or llamas. Also felting, embroidery and many other wonderful techniques for which there just aren't enough hours in the day!
INSPIRATIONS
I have a strong inner and spiritual life and was drawn over the course of many years to study astrology and meditation. Life has led me to study various paths, including Christianity, Wicca, Shamanism, and the Indian Yogic way. Healing, including Reiki and Rebirthing have also shaped my life, both as a personal tool for dealing with illness, and for helping others.
An interest in the occult, the spiritual and the downright weird has informed my work over the years. I love the psychedelic period of the late 1960s, and my work definitely has that flavour at times.
For me the act of painting is a spiritual practice and the visions and dreams that spring from my meditations fuel the need to put paint to canvas. Particular passions give enduring inspiration to my work, in the form of astrological lore, moon and animal symbolism, and especially goddess mythology. I delight in the mystical and magical, and my first sighting of the harewoman image was in Boscastle's Museum of Witchcraft. I have since discovered that this image is very ancient and can be found all over the world in various myths, and I believe the earliest records of the harewoman (and hareman) have been in ancient Egypt. This beautiful image of the goddess has been a powerful source of inspiration to me ever since.
In recent years I have increasingly come to view creating art as a healing process. My beautiful cat companions have, over the years, provided much inspiration, comfort and amusement - and so they also find their way into my paintings!
I have lived on the Wales/Shropshire border for 25 years, and have exhibited regularly with professional and amateur artists, The Borderland Visual Arts Group, and participated in Open Studios, an annual summer event, for several years.
FAVOURITE ARTISTS AND INFLUENCES
Salvador Dali - I bought my first book of his phenomenal paintings at age 8, and for me he remains the master, amongst many other marvellous artists - Escher, Magritte, most of the Surrealists infact, as well as spiritual artists such as William Blake, and Sulamith Wulfing, who painted and drew her visions of angels and fairies.
Later I met the paintings of Frida Kahlo and the pitiless honesty of many of her works deliver, for me, a powerful emotional strike. Rothko - whose paintings speak to me of colour healing, as well as Gauguin and his wonderful primal shapes and shimmering colour.
More recently, Susan Seddon Boulet, whose mysterious and beautiful goddess and shamanic paintings take my breath away. I am especially grateful to the long ago and unknown artists who painted cave walls with exquisite horses, deer and bison. The powerful and earthy creations of the Aboriginal artists of Australia, and the joyous, uninhibited colours and patterns of India - these and many more have spurred me on to create my own work, in various ways and I thank them all!
PAINTING MUSIC
I have my favourite music which is good to play whilst I am working, these are just a few of my favourites:
Brian Eno, Indian Ragas, Gabrielle Roth and the Mirrors, Joni Mitchell, Portico Quartet, Carolyn Hillyer and Nigel Shaw, Sheila Chandra, Deva Premal, Chopin, Peter Gabriel, Laraaji, Jonathan Goldman, Debussy, Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate....
My work is for sale and I am also available for commissions.
I hope you enjoy looking in my galleries!
Best Wishes
Rowan