This piece was created for The Piccolo Gallery’s commission call, themed 'Hidden', an open prompt inviting artists to interpret the idea in their own way.
This painting shows a group of birch trees with sunlight filtering through bright green leaves, creating a warm, glowing forest scene. Hidden within the bark are subtle shapes of an owl and a raven. Under a black light, soft glowing elements appear in the sky, echoing the stars Rose remembers but can no longer see.
This piece will appeal to those who loves nature‑inspired artwork with a touch of magic. It’s ideal for you if you enjoy art that blends realism with imagination and pieces that reveal more the longer you look. This painting is overflowing with sincerity and soul, making it easy for many to feel an immediate connection to the work.
Rose's work will be available for purchase at our Community Online Auction in Oct 2026. Purchases help uplift an everyday artist and fuel The Picco Gallery's commission model.
When the light switches off,
will I stay strong?
I see it flickering and getting
dimmer, and I have to
remind myself, the world is
the same
in the day as it
in the night.
~RKMorrison
This poem inspired me to create the painting, 'When the Light Switches Off'. When walking in the woods, you experience quietness yet hear sounds emanating from the trees, as if they whisper tales of the past, with birds hidden, observing you. This is where I walk during the daytime, but does it transform at night? Is the moon full, casting its light through the birch trees? Bring your flashlight and walk with me in the dark still night…
Darkness is temporary, light is intermittent, but for me, I do not perceive what you see at night, I have night blindness. I can only envision what nighttime in the woods would look like.
This painting has a transitional effect from day to night: you will need to bring your 'black light' flashlight to see its full transformation.
Rose was diagnosed at 16 with Usher Syndrome, a condition that causes progressive deaf‑blindness. Today, she navigates the world with limited peripheral vision and significant blurriness in her left eye, yet her creative practice has only grown stronger and more expansive. Art has been part of Rose’s life since her school years, where she first fell in love with watercolour. As her vision has changed, she has embraced new materials, new techniques, and new ways of expressing what she feels and imagines. Exploring texture, colour, and emotion allows her mind’s eye to stay wide open, and adapting her process has become a source of freedom rather than limitation.
In recent years, Rose has gravitated toward abstract work, especially alcohol inks—a medium whose fluid, unpredictable nature sparks instinctive, dream‑like expression. Letting go of realism has allowed her to create from intuition, affirming her identity as an artist who continually adapts and reimagines what is possible.
After retiring at 40 due to vision loss, art became even more central in Rose’s life. Between commissions and exhibitions, she developed new methods for creating without relying on sight. This led to Art Without Boundaries, a class she designed for people with low vision or blindness, and the Blindfold Series, which explores the experience of creating without visual input. Sharing these approaches has become an important part of her practice, helping others build confidence and discover their own creative voice. Rose believes art connects people, and that together we can build a more colourful and inclusive community.
Outside the studio, Rose finds joy in the outdoors. Running, hiking, climbing, swimming, skiing, kayaking, and travelling are central to her life, inspired by the mountains, forests, and coastline of Canada’s West Coast. Before retiring, she worked as a Paint Consultant and Interior Decorator. She credits her daughter, Emily, her partner, Chris Morrison, and her parents for shaping her resilience, creativity, and love of adventure. Living with vision loss has taught Rose much about grief, but also about strength. Like art, grief can be abstract and deeply personal—and through creating, she continues to navigate it with openness and courage.
Instagram | ArtLifting Artist
