For nearly four decades, Rosalie White set art aside. Now, as a resident artist and Director of the School of Art at Water Street Studios in Batavia, she’s painting with a passion that only comes from finding your way back to something you love.

Rosalie White’s journey with art began in childhood, fueled by a curiosity to create with objects and materials she found around the house. That instinct deepened during her studies at Columbia College Chicago, where unconventional perspectives helped shape her artistic vision.

After pursuing a parallel career in education as a teacher and school administrator, Rosalie retired in 2021 and fully embraced her identity as an artist.

She brings the same commitment to teaching art that she brought to her previous classrooms, which helps her share the joy of creating with students of all ages in a space where creativity has no limits.

White describes her early work as often more technical and cautious. 

“As I’ve grown as an artist, my paintings have become larger, more expressive, and more confident,” she said. “I no longer feel the need to hold back. The work reflects a greater willingness to take risks, trust my instincts, and embrace my own voice.”

She credits artist communities like Water Street Studios for much of that growth. Surrounded by people who encourage, challenge, and inspire one another, she found opportunities she’d never anticipated. 

“Those relationships have opened doors to new opportunities, exhibitions, collaborations, and friendships that I never could have imagined on my own,” she said. “Just as importantly, they have helped me grow personally by reminding me that art is not created in isolation.”

That growing confidence has reshaped how she works. Her abstract paintings rarely take a straight path from start to finish. She says each painting asks her to trust the process, respond to what is emerging, and let go of the need to control every outcome.

“Over time, that practice has become a metaphor for life itself. Trusting myself through the creative process has fostered resilience, confidence, and personal growth,” White said.

Her paintings begin with a feeling rather than a plan, with no detailed sketch or fixed outcome. She builds layers, responding to what’s happening on the canvas, and allows the painting to reveal itself over time. 

“There is a conversation between intuition and intention throughout the process,” White said. “Some of the most meaningful discoveries happen when I stop trying to control the outcome.”

Her creative process often starts outdoors. She spends time painting watercolor en plein air, immersing herself in the landscape and paying close attention to subtle shifts of light, color, atmosphere, and mood. Painting outside encourages her to slow down, look more closely, and develop a deeper connection to her surroundings.

When she returns to the studio, those experiences become the foundation for her abstract work. 

“Rather than recreating a scene, I carry forward the feelings, memories, and sense of connection I experienced while painting outdoors,” she said. “Each piece evolves through a process of building, obscuring, revealing, and responding. There are moments of certainty and moments of doubt, and often the painting becomes something entirely different from where it started.”

White says every painting has led to personal growth, helping her to let go of control, embrace uncertainty, and believe that clarity will emerge from the layers. 

“In many ways, the journey of creating the work reflects the themes within it — resilience, transformation, and finding meaning in the messy middle,” she said.

White’s work is known for its richness of color and textural depth, often exploring themes of memory, nature, and human connection. 

“I create layered paintings that balance energy and emotion, often inspired by landscapes, memories, and moments that are difficult to put into words,” she said. “Color, movement, and texture are essential elements in my work. I want viewers to feel something before they understand it. The paintings are expressive, intuitive, and unapologetically bold.”

White’s contemporary abstracts include acrylics and oil, as well as modern watercolors, in a variety of styles. She is constantly seeking out new and exciting pieces to add to her collection, which can be viewed at Rosalie White Fine Arts.

Early on, White’s artistic path was briefly derailed. She overheard fellow art students suggesting she wouldn’t make it as an artist. Her work was too traditional, too optimistic, too ordinary. Already struggling with self-confidence, those words landed harder than they should have.

“Combined with my own doubts, they contributed to a decision that would shape the next four decades of my life,” White said. “I stepped away from pursuing art seriously and devoted myself to other responsibilities and a rewarding career in education.”

In hindsight, White sees that the real obstacle wasn’t a lack of talent — it was believing someone else’s definition of what an artist should be mattered more than her own voice. 

“Finding my way back to painting after nearly forty years has been both healing and transformative,” she said. “That experience informs much of my work today, which often explores resilience, self-discovery, and the courage to trust one’s own path.”

Her recent paintings trace that journey — a transition from self-doubt to self-trust, from silence to expression. 

“While the work is abstract, the emotions behind it are very real,” she said. “Each piece holds traces of struggle, growth, hope, and possibility. In many ways, the paintings tell the story of someone who finally gave herself permission to take up space.”

Her work has been featured in regional publications and solo and group exhibitions throughout Chicagoland. View her portfolio at rosaliewhitefinearts.com and follow her on Instagram at @Rosalie_White_Fine_Arts.

This piece was written by Ellen Jo Ljung, a longtime Geneva resident, author, award-winning educator, and glass artist. Visit her website to learn more.

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