Thursday, June 19, 2008

Artist Spotlight: Dana Cowie

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Last month I was scouting out local art galleries for an upcoming event, when I met a lovely artist named Dana Cowie who was showing a solo exhibition at the Great Hall Gallery.

As a stylist for Holt Renfrew, Dana's passion for fashion is not only her artful inspiration -- it's her day job! Upon meeting she immediately commented on my Marc Jacobs stam bag and I was extremely jealous  to hear that a day's work means designing the display windows and styling the mannequins at Canada's sole designer department store.

As an artists, Cowie seems to be enamoured with striking bright colours, couture and retro imagery. Her bio states, 

"I pasted pages from Elle and Vogue magazines in my bedroom, dreaming of a life of glamour. My work is a way of remembering the past and connecting it to the present."

Naturally her large collection of watercolours, illustrations and sketches largely centre on a fashion theme, compete with sketches ripped from the runaway and illustrations fit for a designer's portfolio.

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My favourite pieces in Cowie's exhibit are highly-stylized images painted over vintage textiles with embroidery.

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Check out Dana Cowie's website to see more of her work and support Toronto's local arts community.

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