Her many fans, including Artmarket customers, have long appreciated the Zimbabwean-born artist for her use of an exceptionally vivid colour palette across a wide range of themes including animals, landscapes, seascapes, and even spacescapes. More recently, she’s been hard at work producing dramatic stripe paintings so intense they seem ready to vibrate their way off the canvas. And now, alongside her more familiar themes, we can expect to see more and more brilliant and hugely decorative depictions of lavish arrangements of flowers. We hear more from the incredible Rozanne Bell...
“I have never been happier in my career,” says Rozanne, who, having left Zimbabwe in 2002, fleeing the country with her five young children to escape the toxic political situation created by President Robert Mugabe, these days resides in the the rather more sedate surroundings of Dorset.
“Like many woman in their 50s, I’m feeling that a huge weight has been lifted as our responsibilities and lifestyles change! It means we can focus more freely on our careers – still passionately, but without the exhausting intensity.
“The only good thing to come with the menopause is the enormous shift one has with priorities. I no longer have either the time or the inclination to waste valuable hours clucking about trivial things. After all, at the end of the day our health and our loved ones are all that’s important. I can now take the time to truly appreciate the things that matter and that money can’t buy.
“My mental approach has changed over the years from a ‘manic need to achieve’ mindset to one of ‘I love doing what I’m doing to the best of my ability’. It’s an attitude that brings me enormous freedom and breathing space.”
And those stunning flower portraits, which would brighten any room and cheer anyone’s day?
“I’m loving getting back in touch with the African flowers of my youth, which is where I started painting aged 15,” she says. “And the bolder and brighter the better!
“My love of texture is at the forefront and I’m also flirting with sculpture, pottery and fabrics.”
And like all of Rozanne’s work, each painting is a unique original: “I don’t touch prints,” she says. “And I can’t recreate my own work – my colour palette changes every day, and that’s how I like it!”
Given her already eclectic range of subject matter, where might Rozanne seek inspiration next?
“A bit like my hot flushes, it’s very hard to predict my next steps,” she laughs. “I’m just enjoying all the aspects of my art that I never had the time to appreciate before. I guess getting older does have its advantages!”
We have a selection of incredible Originals from Rozanne Bell available to purchase on our website, any questions please do get in touch with our gallery team on: 01482 876 003
Check out Rozanne's stunning Stripes collection which is exclusive to the Artmarket Gallery.