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Rosalee McGilvery | Women as Art

@rosaleemcgilvery

13.5K

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𓍯𓂃women as landscapes, bodies as ecosystems
• art of & for the unapologetic feminine •
collect an original, learn on YouTube⇣
📸⇝@rosaleemcgilveryphoto

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The Art Influencer of the Year Award ✨

We’re proud to announce this artist has been officially selected as one of the Top 50 Art Influencers of the Year by Art HERstory Magazine × Art Queens Gallery. 🤍

Now it’s time to vote for Art Influencer of the Year 2025:

✅ 1 like = 1 vote
1. Follow @artherstorymagazine
2. Follow @artqueensgallery
3. Like this post to cast your vote

Want to support even more? Share this post to your Stories and tag us. ✨

Are you a woman artist too? Comment “APPLY” — we’ll DM you next steps for 2026.

Discover the full feature inside Art Influencers 2025 — available now on Amazon (link in bio). by @rosaleemcgilvery

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9 months ago

This is by far my most personal poem. I wrote it a few days ago, contemplated on whether or not I was sharing it… decided it needed to be seen and then held my breath as I hit “post”.

Chronic illness life isn’t for the faint of heart. But comments like “at least you’re skinny” are so incredibly dismissive, invalidating, and insensitive. I’ve had multiple people say this to me. It makes me sad that they value thinness over health. It makes me angry that they think they’re complimenting me. It makes me even more so that they think this is a choice I would make for myself.

An emaciated body is NOT a goal. It is not a choice. NO one would choose an excruciating, lifelong illness for thinness. No one would choose the mental illness struggles that are tied so closely to it.

I do think intent matters. And whenever I’m annoyed by these comments, I think it over and realize that these people are not intentionally insulting me. And I breathe and let it go. But please realize how trivializing statements like “but at least you’re skinny”, “but at least you’re pretty” are. I WOULD trade it for health. I would trade it for life. You are taking something so simple for granted and you don’t even realize it.

Okay, that’s all.

#chronicillness #chronicillnesswarrior #crohnsdiseaseawareness #poem #poetrybyme #personalpoem #personalwriting #rawpoetry #healingpoetry #chronicillnesspoetry #beginnerpoet #poetsoninstagram #poetcommunity #vulnerable #vulnerablepost #wordswordswords #meaningfulwords #healingwords #crohnsdisease #bodyimagehealing #beginnerpoet #poemofig #poetries #poetryisart #poetryandprose by @rosaleemcgilvery

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a year ago

This is what she looks like so far! Still have to do the two flowers on the right, detail the scar a bit more and shade the skin on the upper portion. (Also, I think I preferred the top more pinkish rather than closer to purple)

This is turning out closer to semi-realism and further away from expressive than I intended… but that’s okay! This is my first original acrylic piece, so I’m still getting a feel for how they work. I don’t want to risk messing it up by experimenting or testing at this stage. I need my first to come out good for the confidence boost. And I’ll experiment more with my next.

This is also slow work for me. I keep thinking I have the color but then it ends up not being what I want and have to re-mix and re-work and re-mix and re-work. All what I expected in this learning stage. This even happens to me digitally, where I’ll work on a piece for months because I just can’t get it “right”. This is also why I’m still using student grade paint. I’m wasting a lot of paint while I learn color mixing, and I can’t afford to waste the really expensive professional grade paint.

I’m really loving her though! She’s confident and beautiful.

#ostomy #ostomyart #ostomypainting #ostomyawareness #ostomybag #ostomywarrior #ileostomy #colostomy #womanart #bodypositiveart #bodypositiveartist #womanpainter #womenpaintingwomen #womanpainting #femaleart #inclusiveart #disabilityart #allbodies #allbodiesarebeautiful #painting #smallartistsupport by @rosaleemcgilvery

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a year ago

Would you be excited to get this in your mailbox?

A little art. A little whimsy. A little reminder to keep blooming, delivered monthly... the old-fashioned way. 📬

A monthly snail-mail art club celebrating women, wildflowers, and the beauty of being unapologetically yourself.

For just $15/month, receive exclusive artwork, stickers, bookmarks, collectible keepsakes, a personal letter, and a little reminder to keep blooming. Your first envelope also includes a special gift for founding members!

Your very first Blooming Post includes:
* An exclusive 5×7 art print — An original illustration from my Women as Blooming Vases collection, available only to Blooming Post subscribers! Printed on one of a kind, deckled edge, watercolor paper.  
* A matching vinyl sticker — A little piece of art to take wherever you go. 
* A double-sided bookmark — Because a good book deserves a beautiful companion. 
* A collectible character card — Meet the woman behind the artwork. Discover her personality, aura, blooms, season, and the little creatures drawn to her. 
* A personal letter from the artist — A few heartfelt words from my studio to your mailbox. 
* A monthly affirmation — This edition’s gentle reminder: “I will remember to prioritize myself and make time for play.” 
* A freebie for the founding members — Just a little something extra for being one of the first to believe in this idea.

(If you own the original of any month and sign up for the blooming post, you will instead receive a print of your choosing from ANY of the women as blooming vases series! Just shoot me a message confirming you have the original, and which you’d like for that month.) by @rosaleemcgilvery

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2 days ago

Which of my women as blooming vases just sold? Can you guess?

There are currently 20 left from this series! These are originals only and come with a certificate of authenticity and a tattoo ticket! Made with archival ink on deckled edge watercolor paper. No two pages are exactly alike and it’s perfectly fitting for these unique beauties!

#bodypositiveart #womanart #fineliner #tattoodesign #femaleart by @rosaleemcgilvery

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4 days ago

Resharing my poem “No Great Sin”

This is still my favorite piece of writing and my first official poem. I’ve started putting aside some time to write in the morning. Don’t have anything I’d like to share yet… but I’m enjoying getting back to this outlet.
Photo: @rosaleemcgilveryphoto

“No Great Sin”

It is no great sin that my body rolls as it folds
That it dimples as it bends and scars as it stretches

It is no great tragedy that my skin is not blemish free or smooth as marble
That is wasn’t made for your pleasure or your viewing or your consumption

It is no great crime that I no longer cater to societal expectations
Shrink to fit the box, grate off pieces to perfect the mold, or turn myself fluid to fulfill the fantasy

It is no great insult to not be considered beautiful
As if beauty were the epitome of goodness
The essence of happiness or the pinnacle of value
As if it were anything more than an ever-changing, man made concept

It is no great flaw to simply be...
And no great transgression to be perfectly content with it by @rosaleemcgilvery

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4 days ago

She is day 59 of drawing the female form as blooming vases! She has attracted 3 caterpillars in this piece.

There’s only 20 left from this series! These are originals only and come with a certificate of authenticity and a tattoo ticket! Made with archival ink on deckled edge watercolor paper. No two pages are exactly alike and it’s perfectly fitting for these unique beauties! by @rosaleemcgilvery

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4 days ago

Day 41 has sold! And is shipping out today! There are currently 19 original drawings left and waiting for their forever homes. They all come with a certificate of authenticity and a tattoo ticket!

(So far I’ve had one person get a tattoo of their original, but at least 5 more who have told me they’re planning on it! If you do, PLEASE show me! It absolutely makes my day) by @rosaleemcgilvery

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5 days ago

She is day 58 of drawing the female form as blooming vases!

I’m behind on this series, I know. But I’ll be catching up and taking requests! Anything specific you want to see?

(I also have a similiar design available with color! Go back to day 53 to see the process of that one and head on over to Etsy if you’d like to claim her!) by @rosaleemcgilvery

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5 days ago

I just hit 13k followers! Wow… just a few months ago I had 5k and it’s more than doubled in such a short amount of time. It truly is such a great feeling knowing this many people enjoy and are resonating with my art.

I wanted to offer a thank you and so I turned this original drawing (which is one of my absolute favorites) into a coloring book page! It’s available for free on my website (link is in my bio to the direct page, but I also have it set as a pop up as soon as you enter my art website). The download will go to your inbox and you are free to color or paint her in whichever way you please with whichever color palette you fancy! I would absolutely love to see them if you do! If you tag me, I’ll share your unique creations here and we can all see the color palettes you’ve come up with!

Thank you all again so much. I know I haven’t been posting quite as much but I am still so absolutely grateful. And I’m working on getting systems in place to remain more consistent on my social media.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ❤️ by @rosaleemcgilvery

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7 days ago

Hi! Yes, I know I’ve been MIA for a little while. I had a few things going on, including fighting with my insurance AGAIN. My new medication wasn’t available and they denied a different medication twice, stating “it wasn’t medically necessary” despite my doctor and pharmacist telling them that it was. So I was off medication for a while. And I was trying to keep my stress levels to an ultimate minimum so I didn’t induce a flare.

My expensive printer has also started to go… and I’ve really been freaking out about it, because my current livelihood depends on it. (Talk about keeping my stress levels low 😅) I did get it working again but it’s hit or miss if it wants to work and sometimes it’ll take me hours to get it working. I really need to prioritize replacing it. But I have been able to fill all of my orders.

I’m still going to launch my mail club, because from what I’ve read from other artists, start up is slow. So I’m not expecting large numbers right away. I am going to limit it if it exceeds a certain amount, until I’m confident my printer can handle it. And then will be purchasing a new one. There’s a mail sign up on my website so you can be notified as soon as it drops.

That’s it for now. I have a tendency to just shut out everyone and everything when I’m stressed out or feeling down…. Not especially conducive to being an artist on social media… but then again, I have no real interest in being an influencer. by @rosaleemcgilvery

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11 days ago

All of my rainbow bodies together!

Top 3 come in a set. Would like to work on another set of 3 soon so I can have a true rainbow of bodies in every color. by @rosaleemcgilvery

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11 days ago