Rosalind Wise

For four decades, Rosalind Wise has quietly created paintings of flowers and wild gardens. At a glance, many people may see only a simple meadow, wetland, or woodland, but those willing to look a little longer and think a little more will see that her paintings are hiding something greater in plain sight. Wise’s career began in 1968 in England, when she was nineteen years old and attended Reading University, followed by Goldsmiths College in London. There, she was told to create big, Rothko-esque paintings and to pay attention to the market’s demands in order to succeed in the London art scene. Instead, Wise did the opposite and walked down a different path. At thirty-one, she moved away from the chaos of the city and began to paint flowers over and over again—a cycle of creation that she never stopped. Her work aims to remind us there is something grander in the world. Each painting opens a window into a reality that exists outside of the constant bombardment of screens, advertisements, and consumerism that fills modern life. They reconnect us with the beauty and magic of existence. Rosalind Wise presents reproductions of more than one hundred of her paintings, each capturing the energy and spirit of places that have provided her with inspiration and solace. Shawn Vandor’s essay, “Little Dreams of Creation: The Painting (and Prophecy) of Rosalind Wise,” dives deep into the artist’s purpose and philosophy, giving meaning and context to the magic of her creations.

Rosalind Wise