Although art had been a large part of Riona’s life from an early age, it was only after graduating university that her journey began. She was initially unsure what to do next and actually considering staying on and doing another course, until COVID struck. This break over lockdown gave Riona plenty of time to take painting more seriously and teach herself new techniques and colour theory. This persistence, paired with determination, meant that she was devoting most of her time to practice- an ethos that still sticks now
Riona’s artwork may now be instantly recognisable, but took time to evolve to what it is today, with early paintings focused on bright sunsets and seascapes. However, Riona never felt a connection to this style of art, and paired with a lack of audience attention, wanted to find a new art direction. One night while scrolling socials, she came across Kanye West’s ‘Flashing Lights’- and an image appeared in her mind- a foggy night with a lone car driving down a long road, headlights cutting through the darkness. The next day Riona captured this in one of her paintings and went on to become her first viral video. From there, the raindrop-on-windshield aesthetic naturally evolved into the driving POVs that we know now, becoming her signature style