Born and raised in Poplarville, Ms, RK Rowells' paintings celebrate distinctive southern culture. A mostly self-taught painter, he holds degrees in Education and Performing Arts from the University of Southern Mississippi. Always an artist at heart, he spent the first part of his life running away from art. He found that , as a music teacher, he could sublimate his need to create in teaching and in design of marching band drills, music arranging and teaching and designing for color guard and WGI groups. After a 20 year career as a music educator in MS Gulf Coast schools and New Orleans Metro area schools, he left teaching to pursue a career as a corporate trainer for the MGM Corporation. Without a creative outlet and without realizing it, Rudy took up painting again.   The more he painted, the more his work was in demand by family, friends and the occasional outdoor market. Influenced by primitive painters, outsiders and folk artists but with a love of the contemporary, his style became more and more his own. Initially, his subjects varied from reliqious "santos" to darker "firestarters" and then back to Angels. In 2003, he set up a studio in his home and fun hobby became a part-time business. In 2005, RK Found himself in a job that did not suit him and a yearning to paint full time. So, he made the decision to change careers again. He moved from Biloxi to his favorite Gulf Coast Town, Bay St. Louis, began a new series of pieces and set up a full studio in his home. In August of that year, hurricane Katrina slammed into Bay St. Louis. Today, he considers himself lucky to only have gotten 5 feet of water in the studio. Then, he salvaged all he could and moved to Memphis to lick his wounds and some Bar-b-Que.

In Memphis, RK started exploring the delta, he met people and listened to a lot of blues. He started taking pictures and recording conversations, making notes and sketches. He began to realize that he had not been painting what he truly loved. With a full sketchbook and lists of notes, he returned to his hometown, Poplarville, and set up a makeshift studio in his dads barn. Working through the winter, he found wood panels and painted faces and memories of the fall. These pieces became the basis for all his new work. VigoBOOM! Design was originally intended to be a brand name for a series of pre-packaged marching band shows that RK had written and arranged throughout his career as a HS Band director, specifically amined at small and inexperienced groups, the name came from a band chant performed by his middle school band called " we go boom...we're on FIRE!". Catchy , explosive and easily remembered. He already owned the domain. He opened up the website and kept it. This time as a gallery of his own paintings. An artist and teacher from North LA, Darlene Collins, happened upon this website and wrote and email to Rudy, encouraging him to explore some ot the regional outdoor art markets. Armed with a list provided by DC, he chose the first one, Bywater. In April of 2006, He re-emerged onto the art market scene and sold his entire inventory. From that point, RK spent the next year working and expanding to improve and challenge himself . Attending outdoor festivals and offering his works for sale online, he is now proud to say that he is held in private collections from California to Kyoto.

In August of 2006, RK relocated to a new home just over the Pearl River in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The rural Washington parish town is another world entirely from his life in Bay St. Louis. Within 20 minutes of his mom in Poplarville and his studio in Henlyfield. He and Fionn, are still settling in.  His future plans include  a gallery/studio located in Covington to feature his own art and that of other local artists, funky and fun collectibles and otherwise. RueRoux has a projected opening date of October 2009. Other than that, its time to enjoy life, family and  friends. and to be gracious and grateful everyday.