Gloria Mitchell, had to stop studying with him after an accident with her wrist. She invited Rose into her studio, gave him a canvas and various paints, and told him to think about his music. Rose describes how he was “intimidated� by the process, but he returned, studying with Mitchell every week for several years. His first show at the original Mudhouse Coffee propelled his art career forward to a membership at McGuffey and exhibitions at numerous Charlottesville locales, including BozArts gallery and Second Street Gallery (where he has also served on the board). Touring the house, where the number of drums exceeds the amount of furniture, and the amount of paintings exceeds the number of drums, I can see the intensity and focus that Rose brings to his art forms.
The physical intensity of performing and painting, both of which require Rose to lose himself in the process, takes a toll. Rose actually stopped painting for two years when he found it too demanding to balance with his music. He often forgets to remember to eat and drink. Like the rest of us, Rose is looking for balance between the physical and the mental, and between the music and the painting. He is quick to share his knowledge of how painting nurtures his performances and his availability to give, but instead of seven- or eight-hour painting sessions, he tries to now paint in two-hour segments. Aside from the years he studied with Mitchell, Rose is an entirely self-taught artist. His extensive travels and his willingness to seek out museums and galleries keep his work relevant and serious. Every month from
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