Collingwood artist Tara Pain Rowlands left a legacy of creativity and love for her community
Tara Pain Rowlands was a highly respected art director and graphic designer who grew up in the Toronto area and moved to Collingwood in 1999, continuing to work for local, national and international clients. She was the art director and creative director of On The Bay Magazine in 2005 and 2006.
Tara was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015 and began to paint in 2017 after consulting her father, the noted artist Howard Pain. He suggested that she create one painting each day, drawing from her deep visual memory of Southern Georgian Bay and her extensive knowledge of design and colour.
In the 10 months prior to her passing in January of this year, Tara created 70 works of art. Her husband, David Rowlands, staged a show and silent auction of the paintings in June at the Simcoe Street Press Gallery in downtown Collingwood. The silent auction raised more than $13,000 for the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
Tara’s work imbues the shapes and horizons of the Bay and the Escarpment with the richness of colour, from the hand of a gifted artist who loved where she lived and found great joy in her final days, inspired by the beauty of Southern Georgian Bay. ❧
