There is a lot of rowing art around online, but few modern art poster prints of rowign subjects.  O4rsom is a new company set up by former UK international lightweight, Tonia Williams, to fill that gap in the market.

The idea of o4rsom.com grew from an unsuccessful search for quality contemporary rowing artwork that began more than 20 years ago, when Tonia struggled to find inspiring visuals from anywhere in the world that captured the essence of the sport she knew and loved.

These works are created for rowers (and those who appreciate rowing) by someone who knows, loves and understands the sport. They are based on both a scientific and an emotional response to the power, beauty, symmetry, and dedication of rowing.

Each piece draws on Tonia’s technical skills – honed during a 20 plus year architectural and urban design career, that enables her to accurately ‘construct’ the components of each image; boat, water, athlete(s). They flow from an intimate knowledge of the physiology and psychology of rowing, and a delight in the visual beauty of the sport that sets it apart from any other.

Read on to see three beautiful images from her collection.  Any Rowperfect reader ordering gets a free postcard – just mention us when you check out in the ‘note to seller’ in Paypal.

If you’d like to buy a poster, a stretched canvas print or commission custom coloured posters in your club colours, go to the website Art page and scroll down to see the shopping cart. You can email Tonia toniaw@o4rsom.com for commissions or to say Hi!

Tonia reckons she has found her ‘Zen’ place producing these pieces. She thrives on capturing the essence of a sport loved by many the world over and hopes you will too.

Made famous by now-household names; in this boat there is no hiding place. Capturing the finish of the stroke, this image requires a strong figure to represent the strength and power that is gathered up and released from the blades as they leave the water. Hence He Scull . The bright yellow boat cuts through deep blue water which swirls in his wake, and bubbles cascade along the hull to be sprinkled from the stern like stardust.

Since starting o4rsom, Tonia has been invited to exhibit her work at some prestigious events and locations around the world:-

• (UK) Henley Royal Regatta – Stewards Enclosure Exhibition June 2011 – non exclusive exhibition
• (NZ) Royal NZ Yacht Squadron – Nautical art Exhibition August 2011 – non exclusive exhibition
• (UK) The River and Rowing Museum Henley on Thames – Pre Olympic Exhibition for British Rowing, May to August 2012 – Exclusive Exhibition
• (UK) The National Water Sports Centre – Nottingham – Permanent Print Exhibition – from January 2012 – Exclusive Exhibition

The sweetness of victory captured as this double scull crosses the finish line first. Golden water radiates out from this crew to accentuate their celebration: blades dropped, arms raised, in shared celebration as they cross the line of bubbles ahead of all comers.

This celebrates the biggest and fastest boat on the water; an Eight. Often photographed at the race start, where the speed, noise, spray and excitement reach fever pitch, this image is more about the elegance, symmetry, rhythm and balance of the big boat – just at that moment before blades enter the water. It captures the unison of boat, blades and crew, and celebrates the effect this has on the water it passes across. Lightly reflective, and not quite still, the green water is pierced by the red boat revealing the still, dark depths below, while blades exit the water to leave archetypal swirls and puddles while the water bubbles below the hull.