the story of the ou
Like any artist with many ideas and interests, our story is a bit of meandering one! Our flagship residency and contemporary art gallery ran for five years from our home in the Cowichan Valley before we took a pause for Donovan to turn his footwear dreams into reality with Pelago and we fell in love with Gabriola Island, hosting artists in a little cabin there for two years. 2025 has been a bit of a homecoming and The Ou has had a beautiful makeover to include bright new studio windows and access to an updated living-room that honours the structures and original use of ‘Ash Boatworks.’
We are so thankful for the folks that have trusted us with their art, creative rest and process, and can’t wait to show you the updated space, and welcome you home!
We are uninvited guests on the lands where live and create, and we humbly acknowledge that these lands are part of the traditional Coast Salish territory of the Quw’utsun and the Hul’qumin’num Treaty Group and the unceded (stolen) territory of the Snuneymuxw nation.
who ‘is’ the ou?
Barclay + Donovan
The Roses created The Ou with help from their wonderful friends and family to satisfy their dreams to inhabit and share beautiful and gentle creative spaces, to be surrounded by contemporary art, and to bring artists from around the world to a place where they can feel at home, relaxed and inspired.
Barclay started learning about art from her mom on the kitchen floor with oil pastels. From there she tried out a year at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, and ended up with an MA in Media and International Development. Her passion for travel, art and community engagement has taken her around the world as a student, artist and volunteer. Find her sporadically on Insta at bmmr.ose
Donovan is an oil painter and bird lover, whose lust for life sprouted as an adventurous child spending summers at the Shuswap. His work and life is inspired by an ever evolving palette of Leonard Cohen and Henri Matisse. He is currently represented by Ashdale Gallery in North Vancouver.
Find his artwork at donovanrose.ca and check out his footwear company at pelagofootwear.com
Meet Chantey Dayal
The Ou’s Artist Relations Manager
Chantey gratefully lives, and makes art in Quw’utsun’ mustimuhw Territory. She is a colour addict, a stargazer, a plant lover, a meal maker, a conscious dancer, and is always on the lookout for delight. Her paintings are an earnest celebration of life. As a first generation Canadian of Indian and Middle Eastern descent, Chantey's art strikes the viewer through a bold use of colour, shape, and contrast. She is often steeped in poetry, mythology, rhythm, ritual, and the fables of faraway places. This ignites and compels her towards all that is deeply feminine and life-giving. Her process has abstract beginnings, which then gives way to recognizable forms themed on women, nature, and patterns. The result is a juxtaposition of visual playfulness, and serious yet heartfelt content.
“In every aspect of my life, I strive to put beauty and love at the centre.
My paintings are an extension of all the things that bring me joy and help me to face sorrows. They express themselves as a part of my personal healing and they reflect what I experience in connection with the world around me, both tangible and otherwise.”
Find her beautiful work at www.chanteydayal.com/