RODNEY
WOODLAND
Visual Artist
and Life Model
There is nothing “traditional” about Rodney “Rod” Woodland’s visual arts career.
Blossoming from childhood dreams of school field trips to Washington D.C. area art museums, Rod envisioned himself as an artist with his creations hanging on the walls of museums for all to admire and appreciate.
As a student in the rural suburbs of metro Washington, Rod realized early in his youth that he had unique artistic abilities. Similarly, his teachers recognized both his inquisitive nature and his aptitude for understanding complex and diverse art processes and techniques and producing high quality artwork at such a young age. As a result, they began mentoring Rod privately to foster the development of his skills. They delighted in introducing him to myriad modern and contemporary art genres, including drawing, mixed media, line art, digital collage, photography, and performance art.
It took many years for Rod to fully embrace his God-given artistic abilities with enough confidence to pursue it as a career path, especially without formal training or education at a college or university. Venturing into the workforce instead, he excelled for more than a dozen years in industries such as broadcast media, marketing, advertising, real estate, and hospitality -- however, he yearned to use his creativity to fulfill what he considered his true purpose -- full-time artistry.
After years of contemplation and refining his craft, Rod decided to “step out on faith” and trust in his creativity and talents in order to dedicate all of his time to freelance visual art.
Early in his new-found career, Rod’s work centered primarily on creating line art and fashion illustrations. Drawing inspiration from world renowned designers Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, and Christian Dior and artists Pueblo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Andy Warhol, Rod’s creations reflected extravagant visions of a world found only in his imagination, not of a world in which he was raised -- a family with no money to afford luxuries or lavishness. Rod meticulously studied his inspirators, identifying with their unique stories and relating to their desire for self-expression through the arts.
Rod also drew inspiration for fashion by studying biographies of his favorite designers and collecting news articles from Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, and Elle. His chic fashion sense opened doors wide to participate in shows and, with the assistance of his team of tailors and seamstresses, presented garments derived from his fashion sketches.
In his early twenties, Rod began promoting and selling original art to his immediate network, which, in turn, encouraged him to broaden his reach. He did so by creating professional portfolios to present to local businesses who were eager to showcase his art. In response, Rod forayed into artist calls and group art exhibitions all over the mid-Atlantic and soon gained a following of private art collectors. By 2009, he had expanded his professional art portfolio to the point where Rod was ready to officially launch his first art business to promote his work and pursue his desire to life model and serve as an art mentor.
Just five years later, Rod expanded his dossier by taking on the role of a muse by posing for hundreds of artists who would render his poses as sculptures, drawings, and paintings at various art studios and schools. His latest venture gained further recognition after Rod won a 2016 photography competition at the SoHo Photo Gallery in New York City involving artists from over a dozen countries across the globe. The show was a pivotal moment in Rod’s career because it provided greater opportunities to model for well-known artists and art education institutions in the U.S. and Europe.
Unsurprisingly, much of Rod’s global success results from the sustained rapport he has established with gallery owners, curators, artists, and art lovers. Enthusiasm for supporting and encouraging those who share his love for the arts has facilitated networking and the promoting of art events to further inspire artists and advance the career of fellow life models. Through the years, his tenacity to devote unending hours in his studio experimenting with art mediums has yielded thousands of creations to exhibit to the world.
Rod currently resides in Bernalillo County, NM, where he continues to enthusiastically share his artistry. While he and his ownership team had a highly successful soft opening of Woodland Gallery in the Wells Park area of Albuquerque in the Autumn of 2022, one of Rod’s primary goals remains to oversee an open studio space for his visual art, while offering live drawing sessions and life model/artist demonstrations, hosting discussions focusing on figure drawing/painting, and enabling network opportunities.
While still relatively new to the Southwest region of the United States, Rod feels at home because of the area’s rural environment and its similarity to his upbringing – something that brings him much joy. Naturally, Rod has discovered new forms of inspiration, especially in nature, that are reinvigorating and renewing his desire to follow an inner voice he contributes to his relationship with God. His surroundings have strengthened Rod’s love of, and talent for, photographic art, which he looks forward to displaying at area galleries – such as the New Mexico Art League.
For Rod, life continues to be a great teacher. Looking back on his earliest works, Rod displayed the kind of emotion reflecting tumultuous periods of his life. Rod’s use of bold colors, distinct lines, and multi-layered abstraction challenges viewers, at times, to interpret profound meanings.
Balance, harmony, dramatic shadowing, and use of natural light are just a few of the techniques behind Rod’s artwork. More recent photography relies heavily on Rod recognizing God leading and guiding his creativity and inspiring him -- guaranteeing him a sense of peace, long after the creative process is complete.
Reminiscing on a childhood dream come true, Rod is humbled daily -- and even more so when those experiencing his artwork see his life’s progression and appreciate an evolving art career that reflects every aspect of his being -- mind, body, and spirit.