Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Shaw.
Hi Rose, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m and artist and Intentional Creativity teacher in Jupiter Fl. I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but received my BFA, here at FAU in Boca Raton. After graduation, I began freelance painting, on the far shores of the Virgin Islands. After two years there, with my husband and daughter, I resettled in Palm Beach County. Although both my parents were teachers, I originally resisted becoming an Art Teacher, and hoped to be a full time artist. When fate did guide me to teach, I met it with dedication, and creativity, and eventually was honored to receive the FAEA Outstanding Art Teacher of the Year award for 2008.
Teaching motivated me more to continue my own painting, and I entered juried shows yearly. I balanced my teaching and painting while developing an Arts Integrated Curriculum for U.B.Kinsey Elementary Arts Magnet School, and In 2018, my efforts eventually earned me a three-week “STAR” residency at the beautiful Hermitage in Englewood. My works include mixed media collages inspired by antique lantern slides, and the human condition, as well as large-scale images of the Divine Feminine, that contain messages of hope and insight. My curious use of recycled materials prompted a series of ‘sales tag’ collages with modern figures, including “Mod Love”, Twiggy, and ‘Decide’ which questions what we buy, our status, and name brands. I left public school teaching later in 2018, retired, and gifted myself an Intentional Creativity Certification course from MUSEA in Sonoma Ca.
Currently, I am painting a new series of ‘Muses’ and sharing workshops in my community and online. I share my art through WITVA, Women in the Visual Arts, Palm Beach County Art Teachers Association, PBCATA and serve locally on the Jupiter Art Committee, sharing workshops in my community and online. The ‘Artists and Authors’ exhibit is opening 4/14/23 and runs through 5/22/23 at Jupiter Town Gallery, 200 Military Trail Jupiter fl 33458. I’m following a dream of making new, intentional, high-vibrational art, entirely from within, and guiding others to find their own Peace Through Painting!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The most common difficulty as a teacher and artist to find time, and space, to make your own work. The biggest hurdle though, came after I started my certification courses for Intentional Creativity. That same year, my oldest sister, was slipping with dementia into mental instability. It was left to me to take over all of her maintenance; finances, bills, health care, and all that goes with adulting for another.
My first year of retirement, which was to finally be time to relax and renew my art practice was derailed by a family emergency. Many people are facing this and other difficulties with elders, caregiving, family at home, and mental health. I had invested a lot in this course and was committed and prepared to make it work. I knew the demands ahead, to create five large-scale paintings, a book of initiation, my business plan, and several class proposals for certification, would be a challenge. Like many determined women, I’m no quitter, and can persevere in the face of adversity, but concerned for her care, daily help, visits, move to memory care, then additional nursing to keep her from leaving the facility, were soon compounded by additional family worries. I was getting overwhelmed.
My only respite was to focus any time I could spare on my art assignments, and even while wondering how I could manage, in the late night hours, I was relieved to find the attention I spent there, rejuvenated and redirected my thoughts to a purposeful and relaxed place! This practice was actually working! I could breathe. I could move, I was in control again. My paintings were giving me hope! Intentional Creativity uses painting, as a way to reconnect to your heart space, your right-brained, creative side, and to let go of the critic and logistical mind for a time, in a way that is transformative and restorative. You actually make an inquiry to your painting for help, guidance, or prayer and listen for an answer. I soon received it. My ‘Healing Muse’ came forward. It was unlike any painting that came before. I felt as if I had been heard, and somehow healed.
After my sister passed, we were faced with the pandemic and I opened my home to a second sister who was struggling with kidney failure. My classes at a local Cultural Arts Center that were put on hold due to Covid regulations. I offered free ‘live’ lessons on Facebook, as a creative break for all. It was another 2 years of caregiving and service, but I was glad that all along I was able to use my art as a self-healing modality while assisting my family. It actually gave me the personal experience of knowing how deeply art can heal the soul.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have taught myself to work in encaustic, murals, stage painting, ceramics, just about any media. Intentional Creativity enhanced the way I make art and gave me a new direction. I still paint and teach, but all of my work now contains meaning and messages for growth and expansion. It brings to light what holds you back, and benefits as mindfulness meditation, but without the difficulty of long periods of stillness. No painting experience is necessary for a class. I invite your ‘Muse’ with chocolate, music, and flowers. Really. My background serving students of all levels enriches my classes in ways to gently share my knowledge, and bring out my own innate ability. This process came to me at a perfect time. It melded my art practice with teaching and brings creativity and peace to people, and now, more than ever, we really need that.
There are over 500 I.C. teachers worldwide, but I am the only one in Palm Beach County. Due to the pandemic, I am still just starting to share this. I have developed over 20 different lessons and am available to collaborate with holistic health centers, yoga studios, private groups, community centers, or wellness retreats. Interested? Reach out at roseshaw1213@gmail.com, or connect on FB at RoseShawStudio. My testimonies from students share that they are surprised at the progress in their mindset, and artwork when they complete a class with me. It inspires me to keep going. They learn to use visioning, and painting as a tool to get to a relaxing beneficial ‘flow state’, and use self-expression as a path to rewrite old stories.
My recent class ‘New Path’ was developed specifically for reviewing and overcoming the difficulties of the past 3 years, since 2020. Starting with washes of color and a simple path, we add simple images, like a rock or log, symbols of struggles, to overcome. These are transformed, as we learn from our difficulties, we assign them a flower, crystal, or other symbolic of strength and resilience, and paint over the obstacles on our path. We may add a face, like the Buddha, Angel, or a symbol of our ‘higher self’ our “Muse”, that has accumulated this knowledge now, and has a New Path! So often, people get stuck ruminating about their past problems, this experience helps to clear that up. The mind /body connection sees the changes occur and the brain accepts the new story! We appreciate the teachings of our hardships, that make us who we are, instead of dwelling on them as a loss. We learn to accept the benefit of the process and become our own guides. It is a joy to share this practice as well as to find new messages in my own fine art that brings a spiritual, peaceful presence to any room.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think we really are evolving into a new way of thinking. As an artist and I.C.© teacher, I can help people find a new way to feel better and use creativity to discover greater understanding and enrichment.We as humans are ‘leveling up’ and finding new ways to heal ourselves and move ahead to our full potential. Creativity will become intrinsic to that goal. I am ready to share more of that. Can creativity actually rewire our thinking and support brain health? I think so. Studies have proven that creative practices boost your immune system, and science has proven that where you direct attention and energy, responds to that, so it is a pretty convincing theory. I am a true believer, my health was improved and my stability regained through this creative process, and I am making it my mission to share it with others. Try it for yourself and see!
Pricing:
- Intentional Creativity classes $97-$250
- Cosmic Mother, canvas 24×36 $1800
- Ocean Muse, 36×36 paper $850
- Insight, Cosmic Garden, paper $450
- Legend, 36x48canvas $2300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roseshawart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palmbeachrose/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Roseshawstudio?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rose-shaw-8553b139/
