Art

As an ‘O’ level (GCSE) student, Rosie indulged her interest in art through the constraints of the school curriculum.

After school, and having turned her energies into further and higher education, there was little time to develop her interest in painting.  However, when time permitted, Rosie did a small amount of painting for pleasure.

It was with the encouragement of a long-standing Thalidomide friend Tom Yendell (himself a mouth and foot painter with the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists – MFPA) that Rosie was encouraged to apply to become a student of the Association.  The MFPA is a member of / part of the ‘International Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists’

After submitting a portfolio of paintings to support her application, Rosie was rewarded with a scholarship to enable her to develop her painting skills.

Since joining the MFPA in 2013, Rosie has been actively involved in promoting the MFPA throughout the United Kingdom.

From practical displays of her painting skills at public events such as the Mobility Roadshow and the Bristol Balloon Festival to painting at Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park and in the galleries at the National Museum Wales, Cardiff, Rosie has been fully committed to promoting the ideals and ethos of the MFPA.

In May 2014, Rosie was instrumental in bringing an exhibition of MFPA artists works to South Wales.  The first ever Welsh exhibition was staged at the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay.  Through the duration of the exhibition over a thousand visitors witnessed the amazing talent of the resident mouth painters, and saw a range of work on display from the Association’s international membership.

Following the success of the Cardiff exhibition, Rosie staged her first solo exhibition in August 2014.  As well as showcasing an eclectic range of her own work, Rosie used the event to promote and raise funds for the good work of the charity “CRY” (Cardiac Risk in the Young).

Rosie’s work has also been on show at exhibitions throughout Wales organised by Disability Arts Cymru, and at national events organised by the MFPA.

Rosie has also demonstrated her mouth painting skills to members of the South Wales Art Society, of which she, herself, is a member.

Keen to experiment in various medium, Rosie has painted with watercolour, acrylic, ink and on silk.

Whatever medium is being used, Rosie’s husband Stephen is sure of one thing …

“Rosie is only quiet when she has a paint brush in her mouth!!”