get talking x rosie woods

We got the opportunity to chat with Rosie Woods, one of our favourite artists in the game. Rosie has recently moved to Australia, completed a massive bike ride across the UK and painted at a tonne of festivals, one of them being NMBW in Perth.

BW: G’day mate! It feels like ages since you made it over to Perth for the NMBW festival, how are you going?

Hey Blank Walls, ah, what an intro, thank you.  I'm really good thanks, but missing you guys! I'm in Newcastle NSW for Big Picture Festival, painting a lovely big wall this week. It's pouring rain right now, so I'm hiding in a cafe waiting for the wall to dry a little.  

BW: You’re now based in Queensland after moving from the UK. How are you adjusting to the Aussie way of life? I know you’ve visited a few times but it’s different when you really settle down. 

Yea it really does take a year or so to settle in I've found. I've definitely acclimatised to your coffee culture exceptionally well! This year everything feels like it's falling into place. I've been lucky enough to meet some brilliant artists in Noosaville who I get to spend my day to day with. It's the first time I've not lived in a major city so I'm making the most of being closer to nature and very slowly making some progress with surfing. I figured if I'm not going to live in London why not spend some time in a place where I can do things I can't in the big city!

BW: We’ve watched your progress as an artist and your style develop, can you tell us how you got into painting and the journey into the style you’ve created today as its very unique? 

Thanks BW! I feel like we've all grown together which is part of the magic of the journey. I've really always just been about painting and creative spaces. I had a short stint studying for a Geography degree because my school wasn't very supportive of a career in the arts, but other than that, my focus has always been painting. 

Whilst studying, I was making the largest canvas I could physically make so it seems I was always drawn to large-scale art. At first, I was using an airbrush, but this eventually led to spray paint and walls! I painted commercially for 4 years in London and across Europe, working on some incredible projects and with super inspiring people. 

I started to get the itch to explore my own artistic language again, so I made the freelance jump 5 years ago to allow myself some space to grow stylistically. It's been a super wiggly road to finding my unique visual voice again but I'm starting to trust and believe in myself more and more! 

I try to depict the boundary between where the real, physical world ends, and our imaginations begin. There is a pull between abstraction and realism, between the fictitious and figurative.  My work isn't particularly conventional, so it's not been the easy route in this field but when I hear people like yourself say it's unique that makes it seem meaningful. If I can offer something new to this community and push the boundaries of muralism/street art, then that's something I'm proud of.

BW: I’ve noticed that your concepts are created in a 3D animation program, does this allow you to really push the boundaries of design, where do you plan of taking this?

Yes absolutely. It's been a love-hate relationship with 3D software, but I can't deny that it's totally captivated me. The 3D world allows us to create visuals that have never been possible before which I find so stimulating.

Since my work exists in 3D space, I've got the potential to animate, and 3D print all of my designs. In my mind, my murals are already in motion so eventually, when the right opportunity presents itself, I'll create animated versions of my murals that they can be projected alongside or on top of the work.  

I've got so many ideas for fully immersive paint installations and have been chatting to some people with the know-how, so keep an eye out! 

BW: Onto the festivals! How was your time over in WA for NMBW festival? 

One of my first major solo walls was in Kalgoorlie back in 2018 so I have a bit of a soft spot for WA. I was super excited to be asked to come back to paint in Perth and for Blank Walls!

As I mentioned I've also watched your journey, so I felt honoured to be a part of your first festival and just super proud of what you've created over the years. 

One of the best things about this job is the chance to travel and meet new wonderful people. I felt so welcomed by the Perth community, and what crew you've got over there! The curation of artists and painting styles at NMBW was super diverse which I think I so important for a culturally rich public art experience.

The only thing I'd change is having at least another week over there to explore more of the region! 

BW: Who would be your dream collaboration?   

Bond Truluv or Hueman.

Bond, because he's doing some really playful interventions combining 3D modelling with spray paint and walls.

Hueman, because she also combines tech, a very painterly practice and large walls so effortlessly. She's also having a killer career with two young children which must be so hard but her vision big enough to keep the momentum of her art flying. 

BW: How do you know when a painting is done?

I'm generally quite methodical with my paintings/murals. I try to complete each section as I go and generally work from the top down to cover up any drips.

When I've finished painting the surface, I always need a bit more time to make sure the piece is balanced tonally and correct anything that's bothering me.

Having said that, there is always more you can do. The end of the painting is usually when I can't extend the deadline any further!

I either have a plane to catch or the work needs to be sent to a show etc. I then have just to trust that I've done the best I can and let the painting go on to live its own life in the world without me!

BW:  Can you tell me a little about your shared studio, looks like a heap of talented people there, is there anyone you wanted to chat about? 

I've worked by myself for a long time but sharing a studio this past year has been so fun and reinvigorating.

Kate Florence and Holly Terry are both brilliant and driven artists who I've learnt so much from! They are both more emerged in the gallery game than I am, having painted murals for the majority of my career.

It's so interesting to see how different their routes within the world of Art have been. I think that's partly why this industry continues to inspire me so much, there are almost endless ways in which you can pursue and be involved in it. 

We share a big warehouse with beautiful light. One of our neighbours runs a design studio and has the BEST dog called Hunter who's around for daily cuddles. Our landlord regularly comes around with treats for Hunter and wine for us so I really can't complain.

Our other neighbours make the best sushi I've ever tried. I dreamt of having a space like this before I moved so perhaps there is something to manifesting after all!

BW: Can you tell us about your recent trip back to the UK, it looked like hard work and plenty of painting at Upfest?

The long days over Spring in the UK are a bit special, especially when the weather is good (which it was!) Everyone is coming out of winter hibernation, so the energy is electric around that time. Being a lead artist for Bristol’s Up Fest was a funny full circle for me. I was studying for a Geography degree at Bristol University when I quit without a real plan 10 years prior. To be invited back to the city with a career in the arts was pretty satisfying.

The highlight of my trip back to the UK had to be Glastonbury Festival though. You guys hooked me up again and ooooohhh myyyy, it didn't disappoint. Everyone always hypes Glastonbury, so I was sceptical but honestly, it's worth it. Contributing artistically to the festival as well as enjoying it was the crème de la crème!

BW: Which artists inspire you and why?  

I grew up on the outskirts of London so my mum would often take me to art shows, particularly The Expressionist, Abstract Expressionist and Pre Raphaelites. My first understanding of paint comes from that place which is why depth of colour, gestural movement and attention to detail are a big part of my practice today.

The artists that inspire me most today are my contemporaries in the street/urban art field. I'm so curious to see what painters in this arena are getting up to and watching how their work progresses. This corner of art world has changed so dramatically in the 10 years I've actively been participating which is so exciting.

These days I actually find myself super drawn to more geometric-leaning artists such as SahilRoy, Felipe Pantone, Gary Stranger, Nick Thomm, James Nolan Gandy, Remi Rough and Augustine Kofie.

Janet Echelman's installations are mind-blowing. They're the ones that come off the top of my head now. There are heaps of others! 

BW: What is the end game? What are your future goals?

There are a lot of paintings inside me that still need to come out. I'm not sure exactly what they are but I can feel them if that makes sense. I'll be annoyed if I die tomorrow and haven't painted with that underlying energy!  I suppose the end game is to try and squeeze all of that creative juice before it's all over!! I still have yet to do a solo show so that needs to be on cards for the next year or so. That will be important for me to fully deep dive into my style and break down some fear barriers I've got going on.

BW: Is there anything I haven’t touched on?

I saw I reflection of myself walking to my wall this morning. I was covered in paint, with a paint gun in one hand and coffee in the other. I honestly just felt so grateful that I'm doing what I do. I still absolutely love, love it (when it's going well, I should probably add!) Painting murals is when I'm at my most focused and present. I push myself harder in that situation than in any other. It's definitely a real slice of the reason I was put on this planet.