Rosanne Mckenney Works

"My art captures a simple moment of everyday life. Working primarily in oil, I tell stories with color, value, texture, and line.  With occasional symbolism and abstract elements, I frequently use the female figure, as the gestures and expressions can say so much.   The stories explore the essence of human experiences common to all people."

From my earliest memories, I  loved expressions of beauty particularly in art. I was raised by American parents in Italy and through their eyes, I learned to appreciate classical renaissance and ancient  art.  Churches and museums dotted the ancient city of Naples where I spent hours admiring the paintings that made these places beautiful. Often in a torrential rain, my friends and I would duck inside a church to admire the work while we waited for the storm to pass. We would occasionally play in fountains under the disapproving eye of the delicately carved marble statues. It wasn’t until I left a culture which saturated the inhabitants with classical art, that I realized how important this was to the well-being of my soul.

Though creating art drew me from these early years, I did not pursue a career in art, fearing it was not practical.  I am mostly self-taught,  though this is not altogether accurate. In college I studied nursing but took art classes whenever I could.  After college I took classes from  inspiring artists in Portland, Italy, Mississippi and more recently on-line.  

Currently I volunteer through Cornerstone Foundation, a non-profit on the Gulf Coast of MS, and paint at every opportunity.  I live between the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Honduras, where along with my husband, Jeff Mckenney, I volunteer with the underserved in a remote region on the North Coast of Honduras.

It is my hope that through this work one might see the beauty of life’s simple moments and sense the emotions, that are common throughout cultures and time.