By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published May 10, 2023
GROSSE POINTE CITY — Bursting with vitality and color, Roselyn “Rose” Palazzolo Rhodes’ paintings reflect the beauty she sees in the world around her.
That’s true of the broad range of her work, from portraits to abstracts to landscapes, all of which are on view through May 20 at Posterity Art & Framing Gallery in The Village in Grosse Pointe City. The artist will be on hand for a closing reception of the show — titled “Fusions of Water, Light & Time” — from noon to 3 p.m. May 13.
“Her use of color is just wonderful — color and design,” said artist Kathleen O’Connell, of Dearborn, who is a member of one of the art critique groups to which Rhodes belongs. “Her work always makes me smile because it’s cheerful. And we all need that in our lives.”
The 55 works in Rhodes’ show include a number of oils, many of them large-scale. Her brushwork is energetic, and her paintings teem with emotion.
“It’s freeing to be able to do a big abstract,” said Rhodes, who paints almost every day.
Michelle Boggess-Nunley, who owns Posterity, said people relate to Rhodes’ work and recognize her landscapes, many of which depict local sites like Belle Isle, The War Memorial or the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. An artist herself, Boggess-Nunley also appreciates Rhodes’ sweeping body of work.
“She’s very diverse,” Boggess-Nunley said. “It’s not often you see someone who can paint a landscape and a portrait and an abstract in the same day. She’s very multi-talented.”
Rhodes, an only child, grew up in the Pointes. The 1978 Grosse Pointe South High School graduate studied with the late Detroit artist Jack Summers, who taught at South for many years.
Rhodes said her late father, Joseph Palazzolo — a child of the Great Depression — was a gifted woodworker, painter and cartoonist, but he didn’t explore those talents professionally because of his fears about being able to make a living. Instead, he ran a local grocery store, she said.
Those practical concerns also came into play for Rhodes, whose parents urged her to study something that would guarantee her a good job. But Rhodes said that her parents let her switch to art school after she tried her hand at a pre-dental hygiene program. Rhodes earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and fine arts from the University of Michigan and worked as a graphic designer and art director. She also took classes at the College for Creative Studies.
This isn’t Rhodes’ first solo show in the area — an exhibition of her work was on display at Services for Older Citizens — now The Helm at the Boll Life Center — in Grosse Pointe Farms in 2015.
Rhodes retains a connection to The Helm, where she now teaches painting classes.
“Everyone loves her,” Helm Program Coordinator Margaret Cooper said. “They are so excited and proud of their work when they walk out. They’re learning a new technique (in each class).”
Rhodes’ advice to young painters?
“Get into a painting group with other peers of yours that you can share not only painting but also your life,” Rhodes said. “All of that connection really helps you as a person and as an artist.”
She belongs to several painting groups who work together and critique each other’s work. Rhodes is also a member of the Detroit Society of Women Painters and Sculptors.
After living near the water for years — including decades in Grosse Pointe Park, where she and her husband, Keith, raised their three children — Rhodes and her husband moved to a home on the water in Wolverine Lake about five years ago.
“I love being on the lake,” Rhodes said. “A lot of (my work) is about water — even my abstracts.”
She swims daily, weather permitting, and frequently paints from her deck or balcony. Living on the water “gives me a lot of inspiration,” Rhodes said.
Posterity is located at 17005 Kercheval Ave. in The Village. For gallery hours or more information, visit posterityartgallery.com or call (313) 884-8105. For more about Rhodes, visit artwithrose.artspan.com.