Much of Leslie Rowland’s artwork is influenced by her graduate degree in environmental science and it explores the subject matter of technology and the environment. Her process consists of layering paint and then carefully removing material by scraping and sanding to reveal a beautiful underlying form. It is a process not unlike archaeology when performed by man, erosion when carried out by nature.

Rowland’s technology influenced artwork expresses the notion that computer binary code has become our most prevalent form of communication, the new universal language. By using binary code to write cheerful, humorous sayings that we are all familiar with, such as “you are beautiful,” “f’ it; let’s dance” and “you have wings FLY,” Rowland has successfully humanized code and made it accessible to all. Code can be fun!

Her environmental paintings express the interconnectedness of environmental relationships into single images. An image of a bee, for example, can be comprised of images of flowers for the wings and more flowers for the body. These flowers would be species of flowers that the bee pollinates. The message is clear, that the bee’s life relies on the flower and the flower’s life relies on the bee.

Another ecological category Rowland explores is presented in “The Gifts They Bring” series, which depicts animals and what they do to benefit the greater ecosystem and humans. An example from this body of work shows a hawk puzzled together with wildflowers and suggests that the ecology of wild lands has interdependencies that are not a single connection deep. The hawk and wildflowers rely on each other.

Rowland’s interest in music has inspired her to portray soundwaves with paint ranging from The Beatles and David Bowie, to monks chanting “OM.” She enjoys not only listening to music, but also understanding the physics of music.

Ever since Rowland was a small child decorating the family driveway with colored chalk she she has felt art to be a joyful and direct form of communication. Art is also an avenue to educate the viewer. Rowland hopes that she can express the beauty and intricacies of the natural world so that people will appreciate it and strive to protect it. Becoming an artist was not a conscious decision but a compulsory happening.

Rowland has had a long career with many solo shows, group exhibitions, and public acquisitions and has owned galleries in Las Vegas and Asheville, NC.

Rowland and her husband get their exercise on a crew racing team, “Lake Lure Racing.” She has five rescue cats that never cease to keep her laughing and remind her to slow down long enough to pet them on demand.