Creative Q&A with ‘Perry the Painter’

WASILLA— Perry Cowles offers a wide variety of custom paint work out of his studio and auto shop, Perry’s Rod and Custom. His projects vary by customer, and his reputation stretches far beyond the confines of the Mat-Su Valley.

Below is a question and answer interview with Cowles discussing his craft, the value a multi decade body of work carries, and the fulfilling process of creating a piece of work, one brush stroke at a time.

Q: How long have you been doing what you do?

“Since 1982. I’ve successfully gone through life and never had a job. That’s pretty amazing.”

Q: How would you describe what you do here?

“I don’t really know if I’m an artist or not. Some people say I am… It’s been a progression for me. I was a sign painter. I painted signs with a brush… Modern technology… kind of put me out of business, so I had to shift gears. So, I started airbrushing and pinstriping cars all throughout the ‘80s, like 10 cars a week, and made quite a living doing it. As time goes on, people shift with the times and people weren’t getting cars pinstriped so I started building cars. I’ve probably built 23 six figure cars just since 2003.”

Q: How long have you been building cars?

“Since 2003, full time. But, I just built the last car I’m gonna build for anybody [a 1969 Camaro].”

Q: So after that, you’re not gonna build them anymore?

“I don’t have it in me to do it anymore. They’re 500 hours of labor in one of those things, a hundred, two hundred thousand dollars. Inherinley, they want to spend the money in the beginning, but in the end they become really cheap. They just don’t want to pay anymore, so I’m trying to make a living.”

Q: How has your shop progressed over time?

“Somewhere along the line… Pinstriping kinda took a turn more towards an art form… 50% of our income anymore is just doing art panels… I work for Harley too. I paint probably 200 motorcycles a year for Harley Davidson… That’s kind of our main stay. Harley Davidson is our main income right now. Brand new bikes off the floor and they give ‘em to me and I can paint them however I want.

Q: Would you say that you’re mechanically inclined

“I’m not an auto body shop but I do body work… I wouldn’t say that I’m mechanically inclined. I’ve got a good eye for design. I’m a good painter. I’m a good metal guy… Honestly, this isn’t what I want to be doing anymore [auto body work], but in the last couple months with COVID, I’ve had to change my gears a little bit.”

Q: How so?

“Well, I’ll just take whatever pays right now. I can’t be too picky. You know, if I had it my way, I’d like to get back to the brush. I made my living for 22 years with a paint brush and that’s what I’d like to get back to.

Q: So, would you call yourself a painter?

“Yeah, I’m a painter. For 35 or 40 years, people call me ‘Perry the Painter,’ so I guess that’s what I am… I’ve never not hit the mark. All you have is your reputation. All you gotta do is one bad job and that’s what people remember you for.”

Q: So would you say that you can tackle just about any creative project presented to you?

“I’m pretty well rounded in my genre. My shop is my zen area.”

Q: So what’s the future look like for you?

“Just motorcycles really. Fortunately, I made wise decisions in my life and I don’t owe anybody anybody any money. That’s the reason why I can do what I do… I’ll never stop painting… To me this is beautiful. I get to put my stink on it. I get a big kick out of that.”

Q: Do you live here in the Valley?

“I grew up out here... I moved back out here in 2000. Remember when the world was gonna end? That’s when I came out… When my wife and I got married and decided we were gonna have kids, I said, ‘this is where we’re gonna stay until our kids are out of school.’ Because, I want them to have what I had.”

Q: What do you think about the local talent we have in the Valley?

“There are some pretty talented people here in the Valley.”

For more information about Perry’s Rod and Custom, call 907-376-6282.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com