About
Born in Central Otago, New Zealand, Rosemary graduated from the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts in 1972 and was a teacher of Art and Art History for many years.
The horse began as a form of life drawing, and then the scale demanded paint.
Always the brushwork should as important as the imagery.
"What I have always wanted to express in this imagery is the definition of the weight and mass of the horse, as well as the power and elegance in articulation. This is so clearly seen in dressage, itself an art form based on both physical and visual aesthetics. Dressage enhances the way a horse moves naturally, and at its best shows full harmony between horse and rider; horse and rider become a single entity. My intention is that my paintings should celebrate the athleticism and eloquence of this discipline, which demands a monumental approach, with simplicity and scale.
"Also, the point is to catch the intrinsic quality of the movement..not always technically correct, and mostly not evident in photo records, ...which is why it is better to watch and draw, better to remember and construct, rather than to copy slavishly from photos, because this best expresses the way the horse actually goes.
"To answer the criticism of the cropped rider's head, usually from non-riders: in fact if the rider is very capable s/he becomes invisible, and the horse appears to go miraculously of it's own volition without evident direction, and really the rider is identifiable by their hands and seat alone, their position.. And further, the second face or psyche is such a distraction, a double point of focus, very diffusive and destabilising to the composition, and so often the human face betrays such effort and angst. Also it is then possible to imagine the rider to be anyone, even one's self.
For some time Rosemary has often written for Judges at all levels of Dressage events, and finds that this positively influences her work. "My thanks to the generosity of both Judges and riders, in New Zealand and Australia, who have so informed me over the past years, and who so wholeheartedly encouraged me. The extraordinary response from the public, both the horse community and art collectors who do not necessarily like horses at all, to these large, totemic paintings, has restored the horse in contemporary imagery."
"Also attending horse events and going face to face with the intended viewers, who should be the harshest critics of my work, has been an on-going source of pleasure and inspiration." Rosemary enjoys the constructive criticisms along with the plaudits.
She exhibited in the London exhibition of the British SEA (Society of Equestrian Artists) in The Mall Galleries, Pall Mall