We were lucky to catch up with Rowan Mastandrea recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Rowan, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I have a very expansive imagination and thrive on doing more than one thing at a time. I also dive in with abandon. You can imagine the chaos! Narrowing my range of experimentation and number of pieces to jumpstart an idea could have saved me a lot of time over the years. Now I try not to get too far ahead of myself, and sit with a new inspiration for at least a week before acting on it to see if the idea has energy and substance enough to develop. I am a dynamic experimenter. “What happens if I do this?” and “Doing does it” encapsulate my practice. Seeing what happens when I do something in a piece shows me what to do next. I had to learn to follow the aesthetic of the work as it emerges and allow for surprises. It was a hard lesson! The twists and turns each piece goes through can be unnerving, so I had to develop skills to manage discomfort along the way. I can also be restless and impatient. My method is slow and non-linear, so I had to develop discipline and make peace with the process to get the results I desire.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I knew I wanted to be a professional artist by the time I was in college, but I wanted to take the time to develop my vision on my own. I worked various jobs (for decades!) until I felt I had mastered my disciplines and cultivated a vision that I could stand behind. I now sell my paintings and textile animal sculptures through galleries. I am passionate about what I do! My process is organic and unpredictable. I dive in to each piece not knowing where it will take me. Much of my work takes at least a hundred hours to create, and I love the accumulation of energy and dedication that resides in the finished product. Intricate, bold craftsmanship with lots of pattern and color is my specialty. As a dynamic artist, I’m always pushing my own envelope and taking risks to keep growing and exploring. I feel like a piece isn’t finished until I am in love with it. I am proud that I hold myself to my highest standards of art and that I pour my heart into every piece. I hope to inspire others by making my sense of joy, curiosity and harmony palpable.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
The conditioning and schooling I received emphasized researching what others are doing and how they got there. While this can be informative, it can also have consequences that delay self-discovery. The challenges that accompany creating an authentic path made it tempting to find answers outside of myself, but the answers weren’t there. I needed to turn inward to fully develop my abilities and direction. The outside world looks so different when fully honoring my inside world.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Using art to create, confirm and nurture love and reverence for life is my passion. I believe that by bringing authenticity and devotion to artmaking, the treasures of the subconscious find form, and generate a means to encounter the deep and majestic realms of the heart. I hope to inspire other artists to cultivate and give the very best of themselves and to have the confidence to share their innermost unique vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rowanmastandrea.weebly.com
- Instagram: @rowanmastandrea
- Other: Gallery Representation: Aurelia Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Adelante Gallery, Carefree, AZ