Featured Artist Lynden Cowan

Canadian artist Lynden Cowan’s oil paintings of rural landscapes and buildings invite you to step right into the image. Visit her website to see more of her artwork.

 

 “Mackerel Sky” Oil on Canvas, 24” x 36” by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Mackerel Sky” Oil on Canvas, 24” x 36”

 

Each year, once school was released for the summer, I was sent by plane to my maternal grandmother’s house in rural Nova Scotia. My cousin and I would help her every morning with her cottages. By nine, we had finished our chores, and were turned loose.

 

“Oxtongue Rapids” Oil on Canvas, 48" x 60" by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Oxtongue Rapids” Oil on Canvas, 48″ x 60″

 

We would play hide and go seek in the rolling fog and sand dunes, dig clams for lunch, and pick up seashells when the tide was out. We also crawled deep into the blackberry briar where we had a secret lair, or traipsed through the woods.

 

“Paneful Memories” Oil on Canvas, 16” x 20” by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Paneful Memories” Oil on Canvas, 16” x 20”

 

My father was a carpenter, and household finances were always tight, so I was never part of the “in crowd.” As a result, I grew up within a very tiny network of friends.

 

“Pentrue Lubire” Oil on Canvas, 24" x 36"by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Pentrue Lubire” Oil on Canvas, 24″ x 36″

 

With a need to find solitary amusements, my artistic ability began to blossom. I would use scraps of wood that my father had as canvases and make my own “paints” from dandelions, various berries and vegetables, the odd bit of greenery and my mother’s pots.

 

“Rattling Brook Falls” Oil on Canvas, 30" x 36"by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Rattling Brook Falls” Oil on Canvas, 30″ x 36″

 

This background translated and shaped my artwork.

 

“Wetlands” Oil on Canvas, 24" x 30"by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Wetlands” Oil on Canvas, 24″ x 30″

 

When I was ten, my teacher came at Christmas time accompanied by two other school officials. They brought me two hundred dollars worth (a huge sum back then) of oil paints, canvases, brushes and other art materials. My mom hemmed and hawed for about forty-five minutes “because you cannae be beholden,” before she caved and allowed me to keep the gifts. In the same breath, she turned to me and told me not to use her pots anymore. I really think she just wanted her pots back.

 

“Summer Day on Main Street” Oil on Canvas, 16" x 20" by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Summer Day on Main Street” Oil on Canvas, 16″ x 20″

 

This is where my love of oil painting began. With no formal lessons or preconceived ideas of how one should paint, my style has evolved into high detail.

 

“Twisted Tree” Oil on Canvas, 14" x 18" by artist Lynden Cowan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Twisted Tree” Oil on Canvas, 14″ x 18″

 

Working from an initial dark background of Prussian blue, Alizarin crimson and lamp black, I develop my painting by building up a glaze effect, so that colours seep through to the next layer. I favour triple zero brushes that are marked for watercolour usage, as they are soft and lend themselves better to thin, multiple layers of paint.

 

Artist Lynden Cowan in her studio. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

Artist Lynden Cowan in her studio

 

On my website I explain each stage of whatever subject I am involved with. When the public visits my studio in the Alton Mill Arts Centre, I spend time answering their questions about how I create my work. Hopefully people will enjoy my artwork as much as I enjoy painting.

 

Artist Lynden Cowan invites you to follow her on Facebook.

 

Comments

  1. I had no idea about your background. I think you are an amazing artist!

  2. My friend Lynden is an incredibly talented self-styled artist and all-round wonderful person. The evolution of her gift and style amazes me each time I see a new work of art. Thank you for featuring her works!

    • LuAnn, we have been friends for a very long time, so you know that I always am amazed that people like my artwork, and feel stressed when showing a completed piece for the first time. Thank you for your kind comments . I think you are pretty wonderful too! Lynden 🙂

  3. I especially like Wetlands. It really seems as if I am there.

    • Thank you Martha. I absolutely love bogs, because they are so full of life, and tiny details. Wetlands is from the 15th side road north of a little town called Palgrave, Ontario. Hope you enjoy future artworks . Lynden 🙂

  4. Cathy McKay says

    I have always believed, since we were 3 1/2 year olds, that you would be a really great artist and how right I was. I especially like your newest painting, Ucluelet, and can’t wait to see what comes next. Keep up the good work.

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