Rose Banfield

Rosemary Banfield

Artists Statement

As an artist, my main sources of inspiration have always been children and animals. Both possess an endearing lack of self-consciousness in their fumbling desire to experience everything, (usually as fast as they can), for the first time. There is fun and magic in a child’s innocence during that all too short time in our lives when it is perfectly reasonable for tiny people to live under toadstools, monsters to live under beds and to expect to be able to fly. I find the best place to capture and revisit this land of wonders is in books and an enjoyment of literature. It is this inspired imagination of the young reader that I hope to reach through my illustrations and each child’s unique spirit that I aim to capture through my portraits.

"Oh, what a tangled web do parents weave, When they think that their children are naïve". Ogden Nash

Rosemary, the illustrator

Rosemary Banfield is an artist and illustrator who draws her influences from children and nature.

Growing up on a farm in Southern Africa surrounded by a rich and diverse plant, animal and bird life, Rosemary discovered an appreciation for the natural world at a very young age. She was inspired early on to express this through her talent for art.

Wanting to work with children, Rosemary went on to teach at kindergarten and elementary school for many years, as well as starting her own art and pottery studio at home.

Now, Rosemary travels frequently to the African bush, sketching wildlife in its natural habitat. These regular safaris provide a rich hunting ground for new material, with her supportive husband Mike taking dozens of photographs to inspire and challenge her once back in the studio.

As a mother of two wonderfully creative children, and four gorgeous grandchildren, Rosemary has begun producing pencil portraits and watercolor paintings of children. Working from clear photographs, she has the ability to seek the unique spirit of each child and find a way of conveying it to paper.

Rosemary believes children are inspiring and deserve to be inspired and recently fulfilled a life-long ambition when she was invited to illustrate a children’s book. She is now a published illustrator and continues to receive regular commissions for cover art and entire book illustrations.

Her drawings and paintings have been exhibited in galleries and art shows from Johannesburg to Boston.

As a child, Rosemary never had any doubt that there were fairies living at the bottom of the garden and still suspects this to be true.

Rosemary is an Associate of the Watercolour Society of South Africa and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

'Beautiful', 'classic' and 'evocative' are just a few of the words used to describe Rosemary Banfield's illustrations and portraits of children. These unique pieces of art make the perfect gift to mark any special occasion; births, birthdays, mothers or fathers' day, anniversaries, Christmas or Hannukah and are ideal for family holiday cards. Rosemary is committed to producing original pieces of custom art, which allow her clients to share their loved ones with the world. If you are looking for something really special and the chance to own an original piece of art, these custom sketches and paintings will delight you and touch the hearts of your friends and family.