Collections – Paintings in these collections have shared themes or topics and are often narrative. They represent a sampling but, do not necessarily include all the paintings in each collection.
Collections
The Family (1986 – 2014) Recollections and reflections on family and childhood inspired a collection of paintings capturing cherished memories and images, exploring relationships and regrets.
The Siblings (2003 – 2011) As she used her art to help her work through the grief of losing her siblings, she created a collection of paintings filled with personal symbolism and memories.
Scared Heart Convent (1995 – 2010) Transforming times in one’s life that may have been difficult, learning from them and ultimately celebrating them are themes that run through this collection. Realizing how the hardships have shaped her as both a painter and a person and paying tribute to someone that shaped her life.
The Priest and the Cat (1996 – 2007) The underlying themes in this collection are redemption and forgiveness. An event in her life challenged her ability to use her art to transform her anger and grief into celebration. In 1996, the local priest trapped neighborhood cats in his backyard and released them at the river. Rosemary’s beloved cat, Lilly, was never found.
Places of the Heart (1974 – 2003) Indelible memories of places she visited and the town she grew up in were the inspirations for the paintings in this collection.
Ireland (2013 – 2017) Each St. Patrick’s Day, Catherine McLoughlin always answered the phone with a cheerful Irish greeting – Cead Mile Failte (cade mila faltcha) a hundred thousand welcomes! During her trip to Ireland, in search of her Irish roots, Rosemary received many warm Irish welcomes. Her experiences were the inspiration for this collection of paintings.
St. Brendan (2017) To this day, he remains one of the most popular of the Irish saints and for generations, Irish children have grown up hearing stories about the life of St. Brendan the Navigator. Many variations exist of the 1500-year-old tale about the sixth century Irish monk who embarked on a 7-year voyage in search of the Land of Promise. Rosemary’s interpretation is yet another version of the classic tale… with just a few imaginative additions of her own.
Favorites and Other Oddballs (1999 – 2014) We couldn’t bring ourselves to exclude the paintings in this grouping, so we created a small but special collection.
A Collection of Cats (1985 – 2017) This collection is lovingly dedicated to all of Rosemary’s feline friends… Ollie, Stanley, Lukie, Lily, Jazzy, Molly, Paulo, Phil, Matisse, Cariña, Lickety, Goldie, Johnny Boy, Gloria, Gracie, Leon, Tinker and Paddy, Sandy and Cisco.
Epilogue (Present Day) – What are Rosemary and her current collection of cats up to?
Acknowledgments:
In 1976, Rosemary was introduced to Mary Daniels Taylor by a family friend, Ken Barrick, who was an art professor at the university. That year, Rosemary began renting a small studio apartment in the backyard and she has been a beloved extended family member ever since.
In 2020, after much persistent gentle persuasion she agreed to allow our collaborative family team – Wendy Taylor, Maggie Taylor and Paul Ratje (Taylor) to create this website. We wanted a venue that would enable others to see her artwork and to know enough about her life to understand the role it played in her artist’s journey. We hope you enjoy both Rosemary and her artwork as much as we do.