WORK AND ART  BACKGROUND : 
For over 30 years Rosemary worked as an Occupational Therapist in a variety of hospitals and rehabilitation settings, in metropolitan Melbourne, rural Victoria, England, and for 3 years in Papua New Guinea. In working as an occupational therapist with people with a psychiatric disability she often used painting as a therapeutic tool in the rehabilitation of patients, especially when communication was a problem cross-culturally.

In 1986 she took up watercolour painting in Stockholm, Sweden. On returning to Melbourne, Rosemary attended classes in watercolour at the Victorian Artists' Society. For 5 years she studied Chinese watercolour painting, in the Lingnan style, with Patrick Lam; and exhibited with the local and international group of Lingnan artists. In 1994 she commenced workshops with Margery Hummel Bennett to explore mixed media and contemporary art. 

In August 1996 she ceased work as an occupational therapist so that she could take up painting full time, and explore fine art in depth. From June 1998 Rosemary held the position of artist-in-residence at the YWCA Melbourne for 4 years; using art as a therapeutic medium when working with a group of disadvantaged, transient young women in a program for assisting in loss and change. For 4 years she was a volunteer at the Outreach Grief Services in Fitzroy, where she assisted in running groups, using art, for bereaved children.
In 2002 Rosemary completed a Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy, and she facilitates groups at ‘The Grove’ Holistic Centre for Spirituality.

Rosemary's paintings are held in private collections in Australia, Sweden, Italy, Ireland and New York; and 30 of her paintings are in the art collection of  St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne.

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS :

* Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Inc. (Committee Member since 2004)
*  Women’s Art Register (Committee Member since 2004)
*  National Association of Visual Artists.

EXHIBITIONS:

2007

Moor Wood Furniture, CAS Group Exhibition, Fitzroy.

Contemporary Art Society Herring Island Summer Arts Festival.

2006

Contemporary Art Society Art at Burnley Harbour, Richmond.

Royal Women’s Hospital Healing In The Abstract, Solo Exhibition, Carlton.

Marios, Brunswick Street, Group Exhibition  Fitzroy.

Eckersley’s, CAS Annual  Exhibition,  Melbourne.

Recent Works, Group Exhibition, Fitzroy Gallery.

Moor Wood Furniture, CAS Group Exhibition, Fitzroy.

Glen Eira Gallery, Bid For Freedom Art Auction, Caulfield.

Summer Arts Festival CAS Group Exhibition, Herring Island

2005

Contemporary Art  Society Art At Burnley Harbour  Richmond.

 Eckersley’s, CAS Members’ Exhibition, Melbourne.

Marios, Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Synthesis, Solo Exhibition.

Steps  Gallery, CAS Collector’s Exhibition, Carlton.

The Highway Gallery, 15th Anniversary Exhibition, Mt Waverley.

2004 

Contemporary Art Society Inc., Collector’s Exhibition, Steps Gallery, Carlton.

Glen Eira Gallery, Bid 4 Freedom Art Auction, Elsternwick.

Fitzroy Library, Solo Exhibition Journey of Grief, Fitzroy.

Women’s Art Register Exhibition, Genetics, Horti Hall, Melbourne.

Contemporary Art Society Inc. Annual Exhibition, Eckersley’s, Melbourne.

45 Downstairs, Vivid Arts Auction,  Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Clifton Creative Arts Gallery, CAS Member’s Exhibition, Richmond.

2003 

Eckersley’s Gallery, CAS Annual Exhibition, Melbourne.

Free Association, Group Exhibition, Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy.

Bid For FreedomArt Auction, Glen Eira Gallery, Caulfield 

2 Group Exhibitions, New Associations, #1 & #2, Keesan Rubens Gallery, Sydney Road, Brunswick.

Group Exhibition, Pastels, Fitzroy Community Health Centre.

Contemporary Art Society Inc. Members’ Exhibition, Clifton Creative Arts, Richmond .

2002 

Contemporary Art Society, Annual Exhibition, Eckersley’s Melbourne

Charles Smith Gallery, Group Exhibition of Recent Works,  Fitzroy.

2001 
Contemporary Art Society, Annual Exhibition, Eckersley’s Melbourne

Cato Gallery, Group Art Exhibition, Grief - a Part of Life, YWCA, Elizabeth St, Melbourne

Charles Smith Gallery Group Exhibition of Recent Works, Fitzroy.

Contemporary Art Society of Victoria, Members’ Exhibition, CAS Space Windows.

2000

The Wilderness Society, Something Green,  Exhibition & Auction, Melbourne.

Chiara Goya Gallery, Poetica and Symbols,  Fitzroy. Group Exhibition.

Trades Hall, The Impromptu Nine, Group Exhibition, Carlton

Contemporary Art Society Inc. 9" X 12" National Touring Exhibition

Rituals and Reasons, Solo Exhibition, Richmond Library.

Exhibition of Painted Coffins, Remembering,  YWCA, 489 Elizabeth St, Melbourne.

Art Affairs Gallery, Out of the Blue, Solo Exhibition, Carlton. 

1999

Curator of Liminal Spaces, Group Exhibition, Cato Gallery, 489 Elizabeth St, Melbourne.

Cato Gallery, Market Mania, Group Exhibition,  489 Elizabeth St, Melbourne.
C
ontemporary Art Society Inc., Members’ Exhibition, 546 Collins St, Melbourne.

Contemporary Art Society : National Touring Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Touring July 1999 - June 2000.

Cafe Y - Solo Exhibition, YWCA, 489 Elizabeth St, Melbourne

1998

Cato Gallery, Something Close: Expressions of Loss and Change, Group Exhibition, YWCA, Elizabeth St, Melbourne.

Contemporary Art Society Inc., Members’ Exhibition.

Cafe Y - Bird Series Exhibition, with Lesley Vinycomb. YWCA, Melbourne.
 

1997

Exordium Exhibition, The Highway Gallery, Mount Waverley.

Jan Neil Studios, Solo Exhibition, Elgin St, Carlton.

Contemporary Art Society Inc., Members’ Exhibition .

Roar Studios 15th Anniversary Exhibition, Brunswick St, Fitzroy.

1996

Roar Studios,  Pulp and Pigment, Group Exhibition, Fitzroy.

Victorian Artists' Society, Members’ Autumn Exhibition.

Chinese Museum, Republic of China’s Exhibition of Calligraphy, and artists of the Lingnan style of Chinese painting, Melbourne.

1993

Chinese Community Cultural Centre Exhibition by International Artists of the Lingnan style of Chinese painting, Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. 

Moore Gallery: Group Exhibition of Lingnan Artists. Melbourne.

1992

Chinese Community Cultural Centre, Group Exhibition of Lingnan Artists. Melbourne.

Group Watercolour Exhibition, Images of Bali, Rudecki Studios, North Balwyn.

Moore Gallery, Group Exhibition of Lingnan Artists, Melbourne.
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

2006
Women’s Art Register Bulletin No 40, Winter edition.

2004
Il Globo, Italian Newspaper, Melbourne , April 15th

Yarra Leader Newspaper, April 19th

2000 
Il Globo, Italian Newspaper, Melbourne 24 January.

1999 
Our Own Wellbeing: A Handbook for Leaders. Department of Health & Aged Care. T.S. Press, Fitzroy. 

1997 
Women’s Art Register Bulletin No. 29, March . ‘Artist from the Archives’.

The Age Newspaper, 20th May

1995 
The Independent Daily,  Chinese Newspaper, Melbourne, December 1995.

PUBLICATIONS : 

Mangiamele, R. and Raik, H. Survey of the Health and Work Practices of Artists. LaTrobe University. 1991.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT:

Exploring art has put me in touch with the creative forces, and become a path to spiritual exploration. After studying the Lingnan style of Chinese watercolour and traditional approaches to art, my paintings are now more abstract in style, with a spiritual influence. Through the layering of colours and the brush strokes, images  are created from the depth of my imagination, and emerge and evolve from working the surface. 

In my paintings now there is a search for harmony, balance, reconciliation and peace. In merging the delicate equilibrium between an external stimulus and my inner visions, I have been exploring ways to unlock the door to my soul.

A fundamental inspiration for my more recent work has evolved from my interest in philosophy. I explore art with an open mind, which stimulates a personal, authentic expression of my inner feelings. My life experiences now resonate with my inner being. Along my journey in art, I paint to express my thoughts, and work with the images in expressing my feelings. 

Mother earth, nature, and human cultures and their cross-cultural connections, are subjects that I focus on to express myself. My own symbols and abstraction bring some cohesion to my thinking. My paintings are the sum total of my experiences.

March 2007

Exhibition of coffins YWCA Melbourne

Singing the Harmony 
Acrylic and ink
 

The Rock Pool - acrylic
 
 

Faces at the Funeral -acrylic
 

Cosmonora 
   acrylic & gold crayon
 
 
 

Transformation  pastel