We regularly interview, feature and promote Pollinators members. This time we’re learning more about Rose Holdaway.
Rose Holdaway sees the life in objects other people throw away. She is a visual artist, social entrepreneur, wind and wave surfer with a passion for reusing and recycling stuff. Being a Pollinators member is a way for Rose to lend a hand to create positive change in the Midwest.
Rose has been painting since she was a young child in New Zealand, when her mother encouraged the family to exhibit artwork in the garage for the neighbours to see. Working primarily in sea and landscapes Rose said while her work is in a realist style the process is more than just reproducing what she sees.
“To paint the water I have to know what is in the water and to paint the trees I have to know what is behind them. Sometimes there is quite a strong story running behind the picture that no one knows anything about,” she said.
As a social entrepreneur Rose has helped people through art and arts based social projects for a number of years working with local organisations such as Rosella House and Baptistcare.
“It is hard work but really fulfilling too and wonderful to work with so many different people,” she said.
She is working on a project to establish Community Arts Space for people with disabilities and those at social risk who don’t have anywhere to go to create art.
An avid recycler and tip shopper, Rose creates assemblage art from the things she finds. She also has a vision to see a ‘Reverse Rubbish‘ centre like those in the eastern states operating in Geraldton
Rose says the centres are different to a tip shops because customers don’t need to fossick quite so much.
“The tip shop is just a load of junk that is dropped off there and people sort through it, Reverse Garbage type places go out to businesses and pick up their discards in multiples,‘ Rose said.
“ There might be a pvc pipe guy that is regularly throwing out one size of end of pipe, now that to them is just a bit of rubbish but whenever you get something in multiples it can become quite useful and someone else might want to build a wall with those,” she said.
Rose recently took a step back from arts based project work to concentrate on her own art.
Her work, including the recent ‘Recycled Rubbish Art Project‘ can be viewed at www.roseholdaway.com
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