The House Dressing Company

Some of you may be lucky enough to be best friends with a fabulous artist who can paint practically anything you wish and you love everything that he or she comes up with!  I happen to be so lucky! But you too can enjoy my friend Rose Cowles’ artistic work too! If you have an idea she can paint something just for you, something that you have a vision for.   I’ve mentioned Rose before but if you missed it she created our banner at the top of this page for our website.  She also did our business cards, our store tags and much more.  As creative as I like to think I am she takes the cake!  She’s absolutely brilliant when it comes to bringing life to ideas with a playful, yet sophisticated flavour that makes you smile.  She is a children’s book illustrator–you’ve probably seen her books in the book store.   But her talents don’t end there– text books (see list below), product packages, websites, and she paints stunning large canvasses (on and off stage) of which I have many!  Here she is doing what she does incredibly well, in front of an audience with live musicians accompanying her at the Charlie White Theatre in Sidney, she calls it “Rhythm Art” – it was an awesome show!

Many of her canvases are so large you need to bungy cord them to the roof of your van cuz they don’t fit inside!  The first time I had to do this she was so nonchalant about it and I was panicked that I would ruin it- but no, no, no she said just pop it up there and off you go down the highway and all!  I love her no nonsense approach to life.  Aside from sharing her talents with you I am eager to tell you why I am writing about her today. We are very excited (and a little sad) to be replacing our kids department with a greater selection of bedding and window treatments. And we have a surprise for you… from Rose!  With any purchase that you make from our Kids department you automatically are entered into a draw to win one of the 2 larger paintings shown below (approx 24″x30″) that Rose has created.  How great is this?  You can’t help but smile when you see these and they add major cuteness to a childs room!  Amelia has a couple already and they bring such joy each and everyday. And secondly, if you share comments on this post you can enter to win the 3rd painting, the adorable “Queen of the cutie pies” canvas approx 16″x16″ for a little person in your life.  Great for your own kids, grand kids, nieces, future grand babies!  So here you have it – TWO ways to win.  Make a purchase in our kids clearance sale or post a comment today for Rose and I to read.  Good Luck!

You want to hear more?  I have some gorgeous examples of Rose’s incredible talent–things she has done for me, some of her previous creations and a little more detail about her work as an artist. But first, a dream– I was in Santa Fe about 8 years ago (can’t believe it was that long ago– sheesh where does the time go?) and we strolled down Canyon Road.  If you’ve never been, this very long walking street is completely lined with oodles of incredible artist’s studios.  I was soooo incredibly inspired by the time we left town that all I wanted to do was live the life of an artist.  Put everything aside and just be an artist. Not sure if it was the environment, the altitude, …the wine, but it was contagious since all 5 of us women on the trip had the same inspiration.  It would be a dream for me to just have a lovely bright & airy studio and be creative in some way. Aahhhh to dream again. One day! But my dear friend Rose, she does it everyday!  “You make it sound so glamourous” I am sure she would say, cuz it isn’t always, especially when you have deadlines and your creative genius isn’t quite showing up that day!  But she does it so well yet it only seems effortless.

Here’s a little interview with Rose.

What is it that you love most about your work and being an artist?

Having had the training as a children’s book illustrator I am able to take my skill and love for anything childlike and whimsical and translate that onto canvas. I love how the “Fine Art For Kids” that I create is such a great alternative in helping to create beautiful spaces for adults and children alike while investing in art that will be worth it’s weight in gold as it is passed down through the generations.

What are some of your favourite themes that you enjoy painting for kids?

Sock Monkey canvases are a huge hit and so much fun to make. With button eyes and hand sewn details, these crazy little monkeys will knock your socks off.
Stick Kids have been a big favorite of mine over the years; these sweet, simple and yet stylized renderings add a splash of color and playfulness to any room.
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes are limited edition paintings that I create for both children and adults alike. Each canvas is individually painted and is an original work of art.  In order to ensure the most value, these paintings will never be reproduced for print purposes except in book or magazine format. Other paintings in these likenesses I only make to a maximum of fifty before the image is then retired.
The sky is the limit! in terms of what I can create. I am more than happy to do individual quotes for any custom pieces.  This custom work is where it gets even more fun for me!

Can you tell us a little bit more about Rhythm Art?

In the past few years I have been challenged to take my art to the stage. Not a simple task but the rewards have been both fun, extremely liberating and energizing.  In a previous show, Heather Burns (musician), Carla Funk (poet) and myself (artist) collaborated to form what we now call Rhythm Art. A compilation of three different genres, in a spirit of spontaneity and improvisation. What a blast! There will certainly be more to see and experience in the future so I will keep you updated for future shows and endeavors.

Tell us about your studio.

A “not so long ago” move to a larger house that came complete with a spare garage is now being used as an all purpose painting studio. This space gives me the freedom I have needed to create the larger works of art I have always wanted to do. I can now get messy on a larger scale without getting in anyone’s hair (literally) and the bonus being I can shut a door and not have to clean up after myself right away.

I love your 8 foot long canvases, why so big?

Painting larger than “book size” started out as an experiment but quickly turned into something I could really wrap my senses around. Friends and family have been very encouraging in this area and have provided me with challenges I wouldn’t otherwise have considered. I can now honestly say that this has been one of my most enjoyable endeavors and it is proving to be a very worthwhile extension to my work.

Congratulations on all your book titles- please share!

I have been designing and illustrating books since 1990. I worked in house and as a designer for publishing Companies such as McClelland & Stewart, Penguin Books Canada and Douglas & McIntyre. As a freelance designer and illustrator for the last thirteen years now,  I haven’t had time to look back.  Some of my more notable picture books are;

• “Gilbert de la Frogponde” by Jennifer Rae
• “Dog Tales” by Jennifer Rae
• “I Know An Old Laddie” by Jean Little
• “The Queen, The Bear and The Bumblebee” by Dini Petty
• “The F Team” by Anne Laurel Carter
• “The Mysterious You Series” with Kids Can Press
• “The Amazing International Space Station” with Kids Can Press
• “Puppies On Board” with Orca Books Publishing
• “Science Detectives” with Kids Can Press

Thank you for sharing Rose!

Rose has earned many, many awards for her creative genius!

• Recipient of two Silver Awards for illus.Studio Mag 1990
• Two Alcuin Awards for book cover design 1991 and 1997
• “GDC” Awards for book design and self promotion 1997
• Nominee for Governor-General Award (2000)
• Shortlist: 2003  Silver Birch Award
• Starred selection: Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice 2003
• Starred selection: Red Cedar Book Awards 2002-03
• Shortlist: 2005 Silver Birch Award
• Red Cedar Book Awards 2006
• Red Cedar Book Awards (2) 2008-09

Just so you don’t leave thinking Rose only paints with children’s themes here are some snap shots from my house with her fabulous happy canvases that bring me joy everyday!

She also does custom work for our design projects at my store, most recently furnished show suites and condos at the Pier in Sidney.
Here’s a peek at just one.

If you love the flavour of her work and would like a canvas there are a few ways to get your hands on a piece;

1. Make a purchase in our kids clearance section for your chance to win one of 2 canvases.
2. Leave a comment about this post today- I’ll give you until October 7th.
3. Contact Rose and she may have something already painted that you might fall in love with.  4. Dream up a reason to commission Rose to paint a custom canvas!  I’ve done this as a gift before and I tell ya- it was recieved with elation!  You won’t regret it!
5. Check out Sprouts on Herald St. in Victoria B.C.  This adorable kids store showcases Rose’s work beautifully! add link
You can reach Rose by email   cowmart@shaw.ca She is working on her website but it’s not quite ready however below is the front of her business card, you may see this illustration on her home page as a possible website band at the top!
I know this is an impossibly long post but it’s been a pleasure to honour Rose’s talent.  Fortunately today I could really enjoy writing this post with no time constraints as I sit on an airplane heading out of town to meet another dear friend for an escape.  So please forgive me for indulging.  I love doing this blogging stuff and I hope you enjoy reading!  Have a great week.
ps. next time you are in Thrifty Foods or Whole Foods check out the diaper aisle even if you don’t have wee ones cuz Rose designed the packaging for Broody Chick Natural Products collection- it’s soooo friggin’ cute!  The wipes are fabulous and look great too!… and the boo boo stick….. and the…..

-and oops I almost forgot to mention that I had her paint a custom canvas for our lakeside cottage–We absolutely love what she captured for our family to enjoy that reflects the view from a boat to our cottage- take a peek!