Rosie sanders : Secret Letters

ROSIE SANDERS

ROSIE SANDERS SECRET LETTERS

Jonathan Cooper 20 Park Walk London SW10 0AQ t: +44 (0)20 7351 0410 mail@jonathancooper.co.uk jonathancooper.co.uk

There must have been a set of circumstances, weather patterns, or some other phenomenon that has conspired to make this year a very good one for roses, indeed flowers generally.

Each painting by Rosie Sanders has a unique personality, and a story to tell. For the first time in this exhibition, Rosie Sanders is sharing these stories, writing of the genesis of each work in a ‘secret letter’, which is enclosed in a handmade and hand-painted envelope, to be opened only by the purchaser of the painting.

Here, in a letter to all visitors to the show, she writes of her inspirations for it:

My garden has never seen such a display.

I grow a lot of roses but because the garden is relatively small and somewhat overgrown, the roses usually struggle.

I felt that this remarkable display had to be recorded in some way and decided to make it the focus of this collection of paintings.

I have never been particularly drawn to painting roses, finding them rather too pretty and a bit of a cliché, but it occured to me that they become a good deal more interesting and flirtatious when they have passed their prime and entered a

state of whimsical eccentricity. Catching the moment is key and capturing their vitality is crucial. I prefer to paint them in the early morning as the low slanting light gives better shadows than towards mid-day and the flowers have a freshness both in colour and surface.

The majority of my roses are white or pale pink and, although modern cultivars, are of an ‘old fashioned’ demeanour.

They ramble or climb into trees, over arches or thread their way through other plants and shrubs in a somewhat haphazard fashion and I am not even sure now what they all are having mislaid some of the labels. No matter, this is not a botanical record it is a recording of life, possibly even mine.

Rosie Sanders

1 La Vie en rose Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 Ă— 77 cm / 35.62 Ă— 30.31 in

2 Sue’s rose Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 × 77 cm / 35.62 × 30.31 in

3 A Shropshire lad Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 Ă— 77 cm / 35.62 Ă— 30.31 in

4 Illumination I Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 Ă— 50 cm / 15.35 Ă— 19.68 in

5 Illumination II Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 Ă— 50 cm / 15.35 Ă— 19.68 in

6 Mortimer Sackler Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 Ă— 77 cm / 35.62 Ă— 30.31 in

7 Rosy-fingered Dawn Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 Ă— 77 cm / 35.62 Ă— 30.31 in

8 Tulipa ‘Flaming Par rot’ Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 × 50 cm / 15.35 × 19.68 in

9 Red par rot Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 92 Ă— 92 cm / 36.22 Ă— 36.22 in

10 Still as sweet Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 Ă— 77 cm / 35.62 Ă— 30.31 in

11 The last rose Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 Ă— 77 cm / 35.62 Ă— 30.31 in

12 Love’s fire Watercolour and charcoal on Arches 640 gsm paper 77 × 102 cm / 30.31 × 40.15 in

13 Of night and light and the half light Watercolour and charcoal on Arches 640 gsm paper 77 Ă— 102 cm / 30.31 Ă— 40.15 in

14 A still perfor mance Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 Ă— 77 cm / 35.62 Ă— 30.31 in

15 The summer’s flower Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 × 77 cm / 35.62 × 30.31 in

16 The dance Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 Ă— 50 cm / 15.35 Ă— 19.68 in

17 Red poppy Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 77 Ă— 102 cm / 30.31 Ă— 40.15 in

18 Chiaroscuro 1 Watercolour and charcoal on Arches 640 gsm paper 147 Ă— 102 cm / 57.87 Ă— 40.15 in

19 Chiaroscuro 11 Watercolour and charcoal on Arches 640 gsm paper 147 Ă— 102 cm / 57.87 Ă— 40.15 in

20 Love’s favour ite Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 × 50 cm / 15.35 × 19.68 in

21 Red sensation Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 Ă— 50 cm / 15.35 Ă— 19.68 in

22 Thinking of you Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 102 Ă— 102 cm / 40.15 Ă— 40.15 in

23 Ir is ‘Love’s Tune’ Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 80 × 102 cm / 31.49 × 40.15 in

24 Tulipa ‘Estella Rijnveld’ Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 × 50 cm / 15.35 × 19.68 in

25 Tulipa ‘Rems Favour ite’ Watercolour on Richard de Bas handmade paper 39 × 50 cm / 15.35 × 19.68 in

26 When the clock str ikes one....

Watercolour and charcoal on Arches 640 gsm paper 102 Ă— 154 cm / 40.15 Ă— 60.62 in

1 La Vie en rose Watercolour on Arches 640 gsm paper 90.5 × 77 cm / 35.62 × 30.31 in

Commissions undertaken

Jonathan Cooper 20 Park Walk London SW10 0AQ t: +44 (0)20 7351 0410 mail@jonathancooper.co.uk jonathancooper.co.uk

Catalogue designed by Graham Rees Design

Jonathan Cooper