Local artist looking forward to first art show – Sault Star

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Roselyn Andress, self-taught artist from McKerrow, was surprised by an unexpected offer to exhibit her works. She says she was approached by Ivan Shane, owner of DFR Sports Bar & Eatery, who asked her if she would like to do an art show at that location.

Andress, who suffers from social anxiety, says she has only been selling her art for the last nine months and she wasn’t sure if she was ready. Previously, she had limited her artistic talents to making gifts for family and friends. It took her a long time to reach out to three local businesses and offer her works to the public. Her abstract art drawings are available at Rebound Therapeutic Services and Dr. Dario Laurenti’s Espanola Chiropractic Office. Her photographs can be seen at Remedy’s Rx, the drugstore in the Espanola Mall.

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During the pandemic Andress decided to paint kindness gifts and give them away. At first she started out giving them to people she knew, but then she discovered that these little gifts seemed to resonate with people who seemed unhappy.

“It gives them a smile.”

She estimates that she has given out at least 1,000 kindness gifts, ranging from hand painted rocks, wooden key tags, spoons and different wooden shapes. All of them have a positive message painted on them, sometimes just a word, sometimes a phrase. Many of them are left in places for people to admire and choose for themselves, or to pass along to others.

Her latest gifts, wooden spoons, have a flower painted on both sides of the bowl area and a phrase on both sides of the handle. The flowers are painted different colours and each encouraging phrase is different as well. Andress tries to stick with vibrant cheerful colours and most of the time she approaches other women with her gifts.

“People seem to really like it. I have had so many positive reactions.”

So far there have only been friendly responses, which Andress appreciates.

Her upcoming art show will be at the DFR Sports Bar & Eatery, 224 Station Rd., Espanola on Sunday, Aug. 29 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Andress will be bringing her photos and drawings, some framed and some in a portfolio book. She is hoping to have a minimum of 10 framed photos along with 15 to 20 photos in the book. There will also be a minimum of 10 drawings, which are done on canvas.

Andress’ works range from $30 to $45. The biggest pieces might be slightly more and the small ones a little less. She says there are a lot of people who have admired her kindness gifts and she hopes they will come and check out more of her artistic endeavours.