CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Coastal Bend man said he is working hard to earn the place in the art world.
When Harry Rowser Jr. was around 5 years-old he said drawing was a way for him to deal with anxieties and the ups and downs of life.
“And that's when art kind of brought me out of it and I winded up in San Antonio during this time,” Rowser Jr. said.
Rowser Jr. said he knew he wanted to draw and be an artist but didn’t know how to begin until he saw another artist drawing caricatures in front of the Alamo in 2010
“And then I looked at his artwork and how happy he was because he was doing something that he loved to do,” Rowser Jr. said.
After that, he got some art supplies form his aunt, went to the River Walk and began his career as a caricature artist.
Originally from the Bronx, Rowser moved to South Carolina where he graduated from high school then went into the Navy.
He said he had a lot of different jobs, but art was his favorite hobby, specifically caricature.
“The base reason of caricature is its comedy," he said. "And laughter, you know, is the medicine for the soul."
Rowser Jr. said he had the support of the restaurant's managers encouraging him to draw caricature of guests. From there he met his wife, Vivian, who is also an artist.
Together, in 2012 they launched their Youtube channel called Rowser World. This channel is for entertainment and education but also a chance for them to give back to the community and inspire other young artists around the world.
“For us this is an adventure for my husband and myself," Vivian Rowser said. "This is the way we see Rowser world. It is the adventure of us two building our common dreams."
Her husband agrees with that philosophy.
“So we teach you how to draw, but caricature specifically because I have a lot of caricature artists who cannot afford to go to school and all of that stuff," he said. "So what if you started a course that is online that is free for them to watch and all they have to do is go on there and look at videos and learn how to do this."
Rowser Jr. said he has gone through ups and downs and recently lost his mom, but strives to exemplify Black Excellence.
“It's an individual who doesn’t allow their past to dictate their future," he said. "Whatever happened to you. You have to eventually let that go in order to receive the blessing that is in front of you."
He also continues to draw caricatures at restaurants in the Coastal Bend such as Chuy’s and Bubba’s 33.
“I always say remember the good times," Rowser Jr. said. "When you are going through a difficult situation in your life. This moment you were happy. In this moment you’ve been painted as a person that has been in control of your emotions and thoughts and you are enjoying a situation."
For more information on Caricature Drawing and a look at their Youtube channel visit here.
