Lynden Cowan

Lynden Cowan has been oil painting most of her life.

Household finances were always tight so I never seemed to be accepted into the "in crowd". 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.  The need to fashion my own supplies ended when I was ten, and some teachers from my school came at Christmas time and persuaded my mom to accept their gift of a lot of paints, canvases and brushes. My mom did not want to accept the gifts "because you cannae be beholden", but finally agreed and in the same breath told me not to use her pots again, so I think she just wanted her pots back."

Although born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Lynden was raised in Brampton, Ontario.  She has fond memories of returning to Nova Scotia to spend each summer with her grandmother in a rural atmosphere on the southern shore.  This blend of environment has influenced her as she developed her style and technique and has also carried over to her rendering of architectural subjects.

In true entrepreneurial style, Lynden started her own art school at the age of sixteen.  She taught both youth and adults in her family’s home.  Later, as she began her career in nursing, married and had two children, she found it increasingly difficult to find time in her busy schedule to devote to painting.  But when her grandmother passed away in 1986, Lynden returned to her love of painting as her way of dealing with the loss.  She quickly began entering competitions and won several awards.  Lynden released her first lithograph print, Alton Afternoon, in 1989.  Today, her original works can be found in private and corporate collections across North America and Europe. Most of her paintings are now available as limited edition giclee prints.