Art of Cierra Blog: 2025

A very special thank you to David Skott, curator at Center for Global Art, for putting together these questions, which are refreshing and invite thoughtful, truthful answers. I will attach a link to the page where this and other bits and bobs can be viewed, after everything has been uploaded on their end.

CFGA: In relation to your art, tell us about your education and/or background, items of interest related to you becoming an artist.

Cierra G. Rowe: I grew up in a very small, sleepy, southern town in Kentucky. As an adolescent, I was naturally artistic and over time became fond of painting. Art school never entered my mind because I had no desire to socialize, hear lectures or have expression dictated to me. Opinions are the invisible hands that usually shape people. Art school, to me, seemed like the kind of a place where paintings lose their colors and true artists are told that they are not real artists, while insipid frauds bask in applause and accolades. Yes, admittedly I was an outcast — worse than that, I was a tortured girl with no self esteem but I was stubborn and that stubbornness ensured that my art remained authentic, not some byproduct of someone else's direction or tastes. I carved my own path as an artist, independently, without external conditions.

CFGA: What is your artistic style?

Cierra G. Rowe: As an outsider artist, I would call my style ''expressionist'', given the emotional nature behind my paintings and my unbound way of using color. Painting, for me, is intrinsic, I prefer to focus less on realism and exactness and more on emotional interpretation.

CFGA: Where or who does your inspiration come from?

Cierra G. Rowe: Emotion and nature are constants but I have a multitude of things that are behind each of my paintings. The inspiration, for me, lies in turning pain into beauty, which I translate through color. Being in tune with what I feel allows me to paint things of personal significance, in a raw way. There is something very inviting about art. As a sensitive person, my art is driven by a need to express. One feeds the other; allure feeds desire and from desire comes intention, which then gives way to expression. Expression is art.

CFGA: Describe your artistic approach and creative process?

Cierra G. Rowe: My approach to painting is simplicity. My artistic process is minimal but undoubtedly bohemian. Quality is important. longevity is important. Stability is important and with regard to asking price; sensibility is important but outside of that, I am pretty bohemian. I remember years ago, ages before I bought an easel, completing my earlier paintings on my lap or a very old coffee table that had been passed around within my family - filled with scratches, scrapes and all of the usual telltale markings of wear and tear that often befall wood. I'd cover it with a scarf and then put my canvas down, alongside paint and brushes and sit there for ages painting, writing, drawing...drinking black coffee. It wasn't perfect or polished but it was natural and laid the groundwork for my mentality involving creating; use what I have and enjoy the process. My method behind painting is all about remaining instinctive and harmonious. The last thing that art should be is a chore.

CFGA: How did you start on your artistic journey?

Cierra G. Rowe: As a young girl I had always been very passionate about art but it was during my adolescence that my fondness for painting blossomed. This is the abridged version and I am glossing over things for good reason. You could say that art is a fire. Fires are only ever needed when it is cold or dark. Perhaps art was what I needed to stay warm and see.

CFGA: Are you trying to communicate with your art? If so, what is that message?

Cierra G. Rowe: Painting is therapeutic for me, so I can't say that I have any sort of message for viewers of my art. On the other hand, one could argue that every work of art, regardless of the artist's intention, carries a kind of message depending on who is viewing it, which is fascinating.

CFGA: Should art have a 'point' or 'purpose?' If so, what should that be?

Cierra G. Rowe: Art is dependent upon the intention of the artist. Some art holds great history and statement, while other pieces are more spontaneous and carefree. I think that art should be what it has always been; a vessel that holds expression.

CFGA: What are you currently working on? WIP pieces would be of interest.

Cierra G. Rowe: I am currently focusing on completing a new floral and am midway in the process of mixing and layering color for stems and petals. I enjoy mixing my paint to create interesting new colors or combinations that accentuate the overall composition.

CFGA: What is your one favorite piece?

Cierra G. Rowe: That is a hard question. I have hundreds of works of art, so I really can't say.

CFGA: Do you have other interests outside of your art that directly influence your creativity?

Cierra G. Rowe: I do have other interests outside of art but none that influence my painting or artistry.

CFGA: What advice would you give to beginning artists?

Cierra G. Rowe: I'm not in anyone else's shoes or situation, so I'm hesitant to give advice but if anyone were to want my advice, I would say that the best thing that any given artist can do for themselves, regardless of chosen medium, is stay true to who they are.

CFGA: What is your dream, aspiration, or goal for your art career?

Cierra G. Rowe: I have always had a relationship with art and a compulsion to create, even when no one understood and even when I felt invisible. This has not wavered. Typically, from what I've seen, artists have a desire to ''get out there'' in some way — to be noticed by the right eyes. But in this modern, digital age of optics, opportunity seems finely tuned to cater to a certain audience. This is accompanied by a list of terms and conditions, which really translate to fitting someone else's mould. It seems that conformity is now significantly more important than individuality and there is little or no space for the organic. It isn't enough to have passion or aptitude. It isn't enough to be real; you have to fit a metaphorical or literal aesthetic. So much seems to depend on who does or does not approve of your art or you and how known or unknown you are, as an artist. I'm not sure that the art world has any room for aspirations, dreams or self. It appears that everything concerning art is reduced to numbers and these days, that's all that people seem to care about. So, I don't know that I have a real answer for this. It is a privilege to have my paintings admired and my efforts, as an artist, understood by people who get it. I never expect it when that happens. Even though I put a tremendous amount of heart into what I do, I'm still a country girl from a ghost town and have always assumed from the get-go that no one really cares. Beyond my reasons behind painting and my artistic process, I'm presently not completely sure that I have an exact ambition.

CFGA: NFTs are now part of the art world. What are your thoughts on NFTs, and if you sell through the blockchain, what brought you in that direction?

Cierra G. Rowe: I have no interest in NFTs, in any way, whatsoever.

When they arrived they were closed and sleeping (zzzzzzzz). And over the course of a day they have outstretched their petals and opened like a human yawning in the morning. They are impeccable, lovely white Columbian roses, gifted to me by my husband. And after a fresh trim and change of water (mixing a home remedy recipe for hopeful longevity) these babies are a daydream and ready to stand tall. Absolutely smitten with this bouquet, their lovely, deep, rich moss green leaves against babysoft, cream coloration. What inspiration these have brought!!

I don't really post personal things but wanted to share these lovely white roses that my husband surprised me with. To be given flowers, out of the blue, wasn't just a warm surprise, it was something that really, really cheered me up and lifted my spirits. They also inspired me to paint more white flowers and appreciate their beauty alittle more. Roses are such a beautiful flower but for me, they're really hard to grow. So having some like these, was very exciting. A deeply, deeply heartfelt thank you to my husband for these hearty, amazing flowers and for genuinely inspiring me to pick up the brush (and not be so hard on myself) when sometimes I struggle to pick up my chin after traumatic stress.

Detail

Flower Blossom

'The Orb Weaver's Dream' by Cierra G. Rowe

'The Bliss In Escaping A Nightmare' by Cierra G. Rowe

Interview with CFGA

'Cosmopolitan' by Cierra G. Rowe

'Posh' by Cierra G. Rowe

'Dream Sequence' by Cierra G. Rowe

Snow Day

Columbian White Roses

SOKY!