About Rose marie James

Artist’s Statement: Rose marie James

I love painting with oils. I love how it feels as the paint goes onto the canvas. I love the smell. I love the way the paint works with itself. I love that it can be applied thick or thin ...or it can be both at the same time. I love how the colors can be layered where one color peeks through another. I love the fun of it all.

My inspiration comes from my many years as a botanical artist. Although plants are my source, I want their unique qualities to go beyond replication of the natural world. I see these subjects, transformed by abstraction, playing with the paint on the canvas, as intriguing new visualizations. I want the viewer to see with new eyes. I want them to find the free use of the paint as part of the painting’s essence beyond the plant. Working the paint with a pallet knife keeps reality from taking over. It allows me to focus on the process of painting devoid of restrictions. Nothing is painstaking as a result but spontaneous and joyful.

Artist’s Biography: Rose marie James

Coloring Books! It all began with coloring books and having to color within the lines!! Seeing these coloring book images made the young Rose James want to know how it was done. Asking her mother how to draw a person, she was shown how to draw a stick figure! There had to be more to this business of drawing. One sunny day while playing on the fire-escape of her parent’s Manhattan apartment, talking to the neighbor’s teenaged daughter (who also happened to be on the fire escape), Rose was shown a line drawing of hands the girl had done. Wow! She wanted to learn how to do drawings like that. At the time there were no art lessons to be had. But, there was John Gnagy on T.V.and his T.V. art directions became her first lessons. Rose, not knowing anything about video editing at the time, never quite understood why she could never keep up with Mr. Gnagy as he progressed through his demonstrations. Commercial breaks helped, so she persevered. That’s how it all began.

Rose received a Bachelor and Master of Science Degree in Art Education from State University College at Buffalo.Her most memorable class was Introduction to Drawing with Dr. Robert Squirie. He was a task master. One learned to draw well in that class or perish! By contrast, her painting classes emphasized “personal expression.” “Here are paints, brushes, canvas…be creative.” No task masters there!

Following college, her art career took various directions. She did perspective drawings and kitchen designs for an upscale cabinet company, taught public school art, and worked as a graphic designer and illustrator. All the while, Rose continued to paint, taking watercolor workshops with Robert Blaire, oil painting classes with Walter Prochownik at the University of Buffalo, and plein air pastel classes with Albert Handell. The wisest words that continue to resonate came from Mr. Handell. He would always reply to student frustrations with “…keep working!” “Keep working, keep working!” Rose kept working.

After 9/11, Rose studied botanical illustration at the New York Botanical Garden and received a Certificate of Completion in the program. Here she received classical art training. A thorough study of composition, color theory and media technique were all important to understanding the illustration of botanical subjects. The creative process, based on classical training made sense to her. She liked task masters. Before finishing work on her certificate, Rose was asked to teach drawing and painting in the NYBG botanical art program. For the past 15 years she has painted botanicals in watercolor and continues to teach at NYBG.

Yet, her college years calling to “be creative” had not been lost on her, and so, Rose’s work has taken a new direction. She has returned to painting in oil on canvas. Her pieces are considerably larger and freer than her botanical work. Her primary focus is on the abstracted use of the elements of art: line, color, shape and repetition. Botanical influences continue to show up in her oil painting. She uses her understanding of plant morphology as an initial foundation from which to begin working. She finds negative space relationships intriguing, and the juxtaposition of colors combined with the gracefulness of lines as inherently mysterious. Invention is often found from an accidental brushstroke or a surprise placement of an unrelated color. As a work develops, the botanical influence continues to find its place. Rose primarily works with a pallet knife. She says it encourages freedom of movement. For Rose visual exploration and discovery make painting exciting.

Rose has been honored with many awards and recognitions. She has work in both private and public collections, and belongs to several artist societies. She was a juried member of and exhibited with the Buffalo Society of Artists, her work was included in the Albright Knox Members’ Art Gallery and she has shown at the Chautauqua Institute’s International art exhibitions. She is currently a member the American Society of Botanical Artists having been juried into their International shows and exhibits her oil paintings with the Mamaroneck Artist’s Guild. She currently lives in Westchester County with her husband, and works at her art daily.

Artist's Resume: Rose marie James

EDUCATION

Watercolor Workshop – New York Academy of Fine Arts, NYC

New York Botanical Garden – Certificate in Botanical Illustration, NYC

Pastel Workshop – Albert Handell – Rochester, NY

University of Buffalo Continuing Education

Oil Painting – Walter Prochownik

Workshops – Plein Air Watercolor – Robert Blaire – East Aurora, NY

Workshop Online – Rogerio Lupo – graphite – Brazil

Workshop Online – Billy Showell – watercolor - England

University College at Buffalo – B.S., M.S. Art Education

EXHIBITIONS

2022 Mamaroneck Artist Guild, Mamaroneck, NY

Small Works Juried International

Member’s Invitational Group Show

Embankment Art Exhibition: City University of New Jersey

2021 Carter Burden Gallery, New York, NY

Beauty of Botanicals, St. Louis, MO

2015 Hunt Library for Botanical Documentation

Carnegie-Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

2014 Maplebrook Benefit Art Exhibition, Amenia, NY

2013-18 ASBA 15th, 17th, 19th Annual International

Juried Botanical Art Exhibition, NYC

2012-19 Filoli 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th Annual Botanical Exhibit

Woodside, CA

Following In the Bartram’s Footsteps, Bartram Gardens, PA

2011 Solo Exhibition, Harrison Public Library Gallery, Harrison, NY

2010 Hickock Cole Art Night Juried Invitational, Washington, D.C.

NY Botanical Garden Juried Exhibition, Rye, NY,

Honorable Mention

2006-08 Mamaroneck Art Guild Active Member’s Show

2005 Women’s Club of White Plains Art Show, White Plains, NY

3rd places – watercolor, pastel

2004 Woman’s Club of White Plains Art Show, White Plains, NY,

1st place – pastel

1983 Buffalo Society of Artists 88th Annual Juried Exhibition, Buffalo, NY

1980 All on Paper International Competition

AAO Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Buffalo Society of Artists 85th Annual Exhibition

AAO Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Western Savings Bank Award

1978 Chautauqua Institute National Juried Art Show, Chautauqua, NY

Peace Bridge 50th Anniversary Show, Buffalo, NY

Exceptional Merit Award

Buffalo Society of Artists & Patteran Artists Show (juried),

1977-78 Albright Knox Members’ Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

The Western New York Show (juried)

Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

56th Annual Spring Show, Erie Art Center, Erie, PA

Kenmore Art Society Spring Show, Buffalo, NY, 2nd Prize – oil

Buffalo Society of Artists Annual Show, AAO Gallery, Buffalo, NY

57th Annual Spring Show, Erie Art Center, Erie, PA

1977 Media 7 Show, Wilcox Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Erie Co. Savings Bank Award

1976-78 AAO Gallery Invitational Show, AAO Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Outstanding Achievement – graphite

MEMBERSHIPS:

Mamaroneck Artist Guild

Buffalo Society of Artists

Albright Knox Members’ Gallery

American Society of Botanical Artists

EXPERIENCE:

2009 - present Instructor New York Botanical Garden

COLLECTIONS:

Private Collector, Buffalo, NY

Buffalo Savings Bank, Buffalo, NY

Mary Lee and Reggie Page, Geneseo, NY

Faith Adams, Beacon, NY

Chirsty and Steven Smith, Dallas, TX

Peter and Olivette Bouchen, Southwich, MA

Tammy McEntee, Bernardsville, PA

Ginny Yount, Bronxville, NY

Teresa and Roger Adams, Stormville, NY

Marilynn Mandell, Fredericksburg, VA

Doug and Julie Whooley, Poughkeepsie, NY

Arthur and Aggie Tamrowski, Castile, NY

Gene and Marion Calore, Key West, FL

Ted Manger, Stockton, MA

Jack and Sharron Turner, Groveland, NY

Nanette and John Delfs, New Rochelle, NY

Brune Picchi, White Plains, NY

William James, Buffalo, NY