About me:
Rowan is a watercolor artist from Minnesota, who works with themes of minimalism, folk art, and nature. In 2020, Rowan began a search for a more sustainable, earth-friendly way to create beautiful art.
She now makes her own watercolor paints from non-toxic earth pigments and wood ash, and uses these paints to create earth-friendly art for the modern home.
Rowan is passionate about reconnecting women with their own creative energy and purpose, through nature studies, painting sessions, and the fundamental principles of rewilding.
The Studio
The summer after graduating from university, I moved here, to the edge of the wilderness. I was looking for something simpler.
A slower lifestyle.
Quiet & solitude.
Living closer to nature gave me the freedom and space to rediscover my own passions for writing, art, and creativity.
And it opened new, undiscovered paths that allowed me to reflect, grow, and emerge as an artist.
Wandering through summer winds and whispering birches,
searching for an elusive something
that entwines both adventure and contentment.
Earth Pigments
There was a problem, though: the more I invested in my art—exploring techniques, medium, and perspectives—the more guilt began to gnaw at my soul.
Every painting was accompanied with a trash bin full of plastic tubes, and I smeared acrylic (definitely not earth-friendly) paints across canvas in what felt like a mockery of the beauty and sustainability of the earth I was trying to capture.
I created beautiful art, but at what cost?
It wasn’t until I discovered an entirely new world of earth pigments and non-toxic studio supplies that I truly began to connect with my own creative soul.
The headaches and skin rashes that I used to consider a necessary byproduct of painting no longer bothered me.
It inspired me to open up my Studio, to share this creative corner with others.
Fun facts about me:
I am entirely self-taught
I spent my college years (formally) studying philosophy and (informally) composing poetry and drawing scenes from the woodlands surrounding the college campus.
I used to avoid painting because it made me sick.
Headaches & skin rashes were all common side effects of my art time. Consequently, I never really took painting seriously until I was introduced to the world of pigments and non-toxic studio supplies. #mindblown
Lifestyle goal: self-sufficiency, off-grid
Fortunately, my husband shares this goal. We are actively searching for property that will give us enough room to be self-sufficient and live more closely in alignment with Nature.
BIO
Rowan is a fine artist from Minnesota, whose creative work explores themes of wilderness, solitude, and the beauty of Nature.
From foraging for pigments to creating textured paints with charcoal and ash from last night’s campfire, Rowan’s creative journey is closely linked to her desire to live a slower, simpler life.
