Guest Artist for the 5th June 2018 meeting- Rowen Matthews. Semi-abstract Landscape oils

Rowen Matthews has been practicing as a painter since 2001. He was awarded the Calleen Art Prize in 2009, the Blackheath Art Prize in 2010 and was granted an Australian Postgraduate Award in 2012 for his PhD studio practice study. He was Highly Commended in the 2011 Countryscapes Prize, the 2012 Central West Regional Artists Award and the 2013 New South Wales Parliament House Plein Air Painting Prize.

He has recently exhibited as a finalist in the Kedumba Drawing Award, the Rick Amor Drawing Prize and the Mosman Art Prize.

His work is held in private and public collections including Charles Sturt University, Cowra Regional Art Gallery and Launceston City Council.

Rowen was included in a survey show of regional contemporary painters at the New England Regional Art Museum in 2004. He was awarded the Calleen Prize in 2009, the Blackheath Art Prize in 2010, and an Australian Postgraduate Award in 2012 for his PhD research into contemporary Australian landscape painting. He was Highly Commended in the 2011 Countryscapes Prize, the 2012 Central West Regional Artists Award, and the 2013 New South Wales Parliament House Plein Air Painting Prize. In 2015 he held solo exhibitions at the New England Regional Art Museum and The Blue Mountains City Art Gallery. He shows at Walcha Gallery of Art, Gallery 126 in Armidale and is represented by Day Fine Art.

For Rowen, drawing and painting the land is an urgent action opening a dialogue with the activity of land. In his paintings large gestural marks move back and forth across the surface. He sees painting as an emotional response, at times sidestepping the intellect, being led by the land, and feeling a way through.