“Born in Wantage in 1934, I’ve loved to draw from as young as I remember and would first do so using coloured chalk on a blackboard. When I was 5, WW2 started and I have memories of drawing the tanks, aeroplanes & soldiers that I could see filling the town.
At school, art was my best subject, but there was never an option of trying to take it any further such as attending Art College. I married in 1957 to Jean Andrews, my next-door neighbour but one. A busy family and working life followed, allowing very little time for artistic work.
When I retired from Harwell in 1990, I decided it was time to start getting creative again. I tried my hand at lots of different things, including sculpture, glass engraving, even designing and creating my own sundials. I would sculpt caricatures of famous sports people and we’d take them to local craft fairs – I occasionally see them still dotted around the town now.
In later years, the focus has been Christmas decorations, making carol singers, penguins and snowmen out of pinecones I find during my walks. My wife and I could be found in Wantage Church every Dickensian Evening, selling our crafts to raise money for the Church. Sadly, my wife passed away on Christmas Day 2016, after 59 and a half happy years of marriage.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, my daily walk became my tonic. I felt inspired whilst exploring the many beautiful places we have in and around Wantage, so after many years, I decided to take up painting again. Soon, my house was filling with canvas paintings and my family encouraged me to sell limited edition prints of them at the Wantage Artisan Market and via Etsy.
I can only hope that my paintings encourage others to venture into the local walkways that we’re so lucky to have on our doorstep and to look after them so they can be enjoyed for many years to come.”
You can see Robert Rose’s beautiful paintings at Wantage Library until 22 July 2023, as part of Wantage Summer Arts Festival.
Etsy.com/uk/shop/RobertRoseArtist
