SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - When Nathan Gowsell made the move to Vancouver, B.C. 23 years ago, he always knew that his South Stormont roots would remain with him forever.
Turns out forever is right now. Gowsell, 45, a graphic designer by trade and now an acclaimed local digital folk artist, is turning area landscapes into popular works of digital art that have quickly been adopted by local fans.
Big time.
Gowsell’s work is hanging in area homes, sold online and has become a staple of local social media users who can’t get enough of his immortalizing portraits of landscapes, buildings and amenities – some of which you’d be hard-pressed to think of otherwise.
“I love history,” said Gowsell. “Especially history that may be overlooked. There’s beauty in things that are overlooked or deteriorating. To some it may not seem beautiful but to others there is beauty in all of that.”
Two portraits call out to him in that respect – one of a Cornwall-based laundromat, and another of the city’s shoe stores.
“Those are things that people might not necessarily think to draw, because they’re not a manor house or a historic building. But there’s a lot of heritage in those sites and it also promotes local businesses, so if someone sees that, they might go there and do some business with them.
“I don’t know if I have favourite pieces, but I have favourite experiences.”
He’s also got a passion for his hometown community. Gowsell’s affinity for the Lost Villages Museum is steeped in his family’s roots, but is also inspired by events related to the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
“My mom (Karen) is from Moulinette,” said Gowsell, whose dad is George from Mille Roches. “Living in South Stormont there is obviously a lot of cool stuff from that era.”
But why the pull towards digital art? Gowsell’s artistic journey is built around a career as a graphic designer, while also building his reputation as an excellent artist who spent time with pen and ink and doodling before making the transition complete with a deep dive into digital art.
He is often inspired by photos he takes, or others that are submitted. Gowsell references these images to make digital works of art. Gowsell explains that digital art allows for a pantheon of colours available.
“Digital art is a lot more confined, cleaner and succinct,” said Gowsell, who considered traditional painting for a time, but then ultimately settled on a digital medium. “It’s also a lot more affordable. For a little while it almost became an obsession for me. I was buying art supplies and it was collecting and it was drying up before I could use it.
“But with an iPad…the colours are limitless. It’s very inspiring in that way.
“I used to have a hangup about originality. I’d say: ‘Oh that’s not art.’ But then it just became I don’t care. People like it. I am original. I take photos and draw from those or use photos where I have license to do so as reference material. I feel that is really important.”
Gowsell’s work can be found on Facebook at ‘Nathan Gowsell Creative’ and his website is shopnathangowsell.com.
