Artist Spotlight: Rosie Moriarty-Simmonds

Artist, actor, businesswoman, mother and wife, Rosaleen Moriarty-Simmonds just hosted her first solo show this past August. After a full year of shows, demos and study, this was no small accomplishment for this UK based artist who was born without hands.  Rosie is a part of the MFPA (Mouth and Foot Painting Artists) .  Each artist that is a part of the organization paints without the use of their hands due to disability, and Rosie is a mouth- painting artist.  The organization teaches artists, gives scholarships and helps these artists sell their work as well as the many exhibitions, demonstrations and events they hold around the country.  

Since birth, Rosie has been disabled, so she has been used to writing and drawing with a tool in her mouth.  Like many full time artists, Rosie has always had a love of creating art, and she learned to paint holding a brush in her mouth.  Navigating her way through the higher education system, Rosie graduated with a degree and pursued work as a civil servant before starting her RMS Disability Issue consulting business.  Art was still in her mind, even though it was the back burner while Rosie got married and started a family and worked her business.  However, with the encouragement from a senior member of the MFPA, Rosie sent in a portfolio and was offered a scholarship as a student mouth painter.  

Rosie paints with acrylics, doing landscapes and still-lifes and some portraiture.  She has mainly chosen her materials for the ease with which she can use them, trying watercolor, pastel and even ink.  Since Rosie works close to her substrate, painting from her mouth, she has searched for long handled quality brushes.  In her research, Rosie found Dynasty.  She explains further, "I found it very difficult to source good quality long handled paintbrushes. In fact there was nowhere in the UK and after quite extensive research, I came across Jeff Mink at Dynasty Brush. I explained my situation and asked if I could purchase bespoke brushes from the company; Jeff went a step further and personally made me a whole set. I have never experienced such kindness from a stranger, and will always be eternally grateful to him."  Jeff created a version of the Black Gold Wave brush for Rosie, adapting a smooth sanded plain wood handle.  


With her busy schedule, Rosie has been a part of many MFPA shows and demonstrations, including a show in South Wales this past May with the group.  She also found time to host a solo show this August and displayed 44 of her works in her home garage.  Over the next six months, Rosie will be in many more exhibits, including a demo at the National Museum for Wales on October 15th and a weekend in Eastbourne for more exhibitions.  Next February, you can see Rosie giving a presentation at the South Wales Art Society, of which she is a member.  To see more of Rosie's artwork, find her page on the MFPA website.
You can read more about Rosie's business and her memoir through her website:  www.rms-consultancy.co.uk.  

Keep Painting, 
Karyn 

For more brush information, check out the Dynasty Brush website.