Former visual realist becomes a visual impressionist
Having staged 42 photographic exhibitions as a professional photographer, (including a solo photographic exhibition at the Suter Art Gallery) Rosalina, formerly known as Ludmila Rosalina Palamountain, retired from professional photography and looked for other ways to express her artistic talent.
Rosalina decided that after years of commercialism with her cameras both in New Zealand and overseas, her paintings would not have that same realism that her photographs had. She first experimented with oil paints, but because part of her photographic work had also been commercially hand colouring in photographic oil paints black and white photographs, this medium felt too much like the work she was trying to retire from so she then tried pastels, acrylics and then water colours.
Used to working with strong colours (photography) she was not initially impressed with the soft tones of water colours until she started to experiment in mixing stronger colours, shades and hues together – and found what she could artistically work with.
She then studied with English Water Colour Tutor, Photographer and published Writer Eddie Askew, whose New Zealand residential workshop she attended in Christchurch. Here Rosalina first discovered that her photographic background was an advantage in approaching water colour painting.
A Post Graduate in Museum Studies, a major artistic influence has been her fascination with the shapes, colours and minimalist style of Oriental Art – first viewed through the Shanghai Museum’s “Exhibition of 5000 years of Art & Artifacts” as well as visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.
Rosalina then had the opportunity of residential study with Canadian Water Colourist Robert Sinclair who specialises in Oriental brush work. Here Rosalina first learnt how to apply the Chinese minimalist approach to painting. Afterwards, Robert Sinclair gave Rosalina a year’s homework to complete which included background reading, black & white pencil sketching and brush painting exercises to complete before she tried painting in her own unique style.
Rosalina has since done other residential studies with Robert Sinclair and as a result, has broadened the scope of her unique water colour technique.
After submitting a portfolio of her work, Rosalina has been accepted as a working artist member of the Suter Art Society, exhibited with them at the Suter Art Gallery, and has staged several solo water colour exhibitions around Nelson. Her work has also been exhibited in the Great New Zealand Affordable Art Show in Wellington. Rosalina continues to explore various themes and possibilities with her water colour paintings.
For sales of work, commission enquiries & studio visits (by appointment only) Email Rosalina McCarthy
Phone: + 64 3 545 1067
Postal: P O Box 330, Nelson, New Zealand