Rosalind R. Reid
Canadian artist, multiple mediums, former high fashion model, Mother of two and my aunt and friend.
The moment I set out to write a short blog about my wonderful Aunt Rosalind and her art i immediately became overwhelmed. How do you sum up or down a life so detailed and full of drama, art and enthusiasm? The short answer is that you cannot. So I will not even try. I will, however, speak to one aspect of her life that has always and continues to be outstanding and impacting on my own life. Her art.
It was a family Thanksgiving dinner held most years at my Mothers home where I found myself sitting with my aunt Rosalind. We always end up sitting together, why not, we are birds of a feather you know. Artists cut from the same cloth. You see, in my aunts family there were many artists. Painters of pictures, painters of letters, and painters with photographic equipment. Each being as creative as the others. Some more successful than the others at sharing their craft with the world but all certainly as skilled and blessed.
My aunt Roz, as we call her, is nothing less than charming and the most cheerful encourager that any artists could ever want to know. Every time we have ever met and sat down to talk her attention was always on what I was doing and painting and so on. "Have you been painting Robbie?" she would say. Then selfishly i would allow the conversation to wander off into the bog of my own career in art and all my own adventures. Forgetting the deep and long artistry of the woman sitting beside me.
On this day, Thanksgiving 2010 she sat there chatting as we did so many times. At the same time she was working a vibrantly coloured portrait of one of my nieces. When complete she lifted it up and presented it too my niece with sparkling eyes and that signature smile she is so loved for. The picture, portrait, melted the hearts of each of us who saw it. None so much as mine. It was humbling as well. While I went on aimlessly about my own life, there she sat doodling up this most charming pastel sketch of the young girl.
I have attached to this blog a sample of a recent series of paintings Roz did in preparation for her display to be shown at the RoncyRocks http://roncyrocks.com/ art and music festival on Roncesvalles Ave in Toronto, June 16th, 2012. The neighborhood known as Roncy is one of Toronto's most diverse and exciting mix of restaurants, grocers, barbershops, flower shops, art galleries and music spots, and they are doing it up big for the annual community party. It is also the part of Toronto where my aunt Roz grew up and became the wonderful personality that she is today.
There could not be a more fitting location for the showing of Rosalind's work. I encourage everyone to take the time to visit her booth and say hello. More than anything I encourage everyone to absorb her paintings. Know that nothing is done by chance and that every stroke is where she intended it to go and coloured the way she wanted it to be. You will be dazzled and amazed.
I always am.
So like she always said to me: "Keep painting!" Keep painting Roz, keep painting. May the world discover you and your wonderfully inspired talent.
Canadian artist, multiple mediums, former high fashion model, Mother of two and my aunt and friend.
The moment I set out to write a short blog about my wonderful Aunt Rosalind and her art i immediately became overwhelmed. How do you sum up or down a life so detailed and full of drama, art and enthusiasm? The short answer is that you cannot. So I will not even try. I will, however, speak to one aspect of her life that has always and continues to be outstanding and impacting on my own life. Her art.
It was a family Thanksgiving dinner held most years at my Mothers home where I found myself sitting with my aunt Rosalind. We always end up sitting together, why not, we are birds of a feather you know. Artists cut from the same cloth. You see, in my aunts family there were many artists. Painters of pictures, painters of letters, and painters with photographic equipment. Each being as creative as the others. Some more successful than the others at sharing their craft with the world but all certainly as skilled and blessed.
My aunt Roz, as we call her, is nothing less than charming and the most cheerful encourager that any artists could ever want to know. Every time we have ever met and sat down to talk her attention was always on what I was doing and painting and so on. "Have you been painting Robbie?" she would say. Then selfishly i would allow the conversation to wander off into the bog of my own career in art and all my own adventures. Forgetting the deep and long artistry of the woman sitting beside me.
On this day, Thanksgiving 2010 she sat there chatting as we did so many times. At the same time she was working a vibrantly coloured portrait of one of my nieces. When complete she lifted it up and presented it too my niece with sparkling eyes and that signature smile she is so loved for. The picture, portrait, melted the hearts of each of us who saw it. None so much as mine. It was humbling as well. While I went on aimlessly about my own life, there she sat doodling up this most charming pastel sketch of the young girl.
I have attached to this blog a sample of a recent series of paintings Roz did in preparation for her display to be shown at the RoncyRocks http://roncyrocks.com/ art and music festival on Roncesvalles Ave in Toronto, June 16th, 2012. The neighborhood known as Roncy is one of Toronto's most diverse and exciting mix of restaurants, grocers, barbershops, flower shops, art galleries and music spots, and they are doing it up big for the annual community party. It is also the part of Toronto where my aunt Roz grew up and became the wonderful personality that she is today.
There could not be a more fitting location for the showing of Rosalind's work. I encourage everyone to take the time to visit her booth and say hello. More than anything I encourage everyone to absorb her paintings. Know that nothing is done by chance and that every stroke is where she intended it to go and coloured the way she wanted it to be. You will be dazzled and amazed.
I always am.
So like she always said to me: "Keep painting!" Keep painting Roz, keep painting. May the world discover you and your wonderfully inspired talent.
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