Daisy Rossi facts for kids
Daisy Mary Rossi (born January 18, 1879 – died August 4, 1974) was a talented Australian artist, interior designer, and writer. She was famous for painting portraits and beautiful landscapes and flowers in the Impressionist style.
Biography
Daisy Rossi was born in Upper Wakefield, South Australia, in 1879. Her mother was English, and her father's parents were Italian. In 1900, her family moved to Adelaide. There, she began studying art at the South Australian School of Design.
Early Career in Perth
In 1905, Daisy moved to Perth. She was taught by another artist named Florence Fuller. That same year, the Western Australian Society of Arts started showing her paintings. They also displayed her interior designs. Her work was even part of the big 1907 Australian Exhibition of Women's Work.
Early in her career, Daisy earned money by painting portraits. She painted important people like the feminist Bessie Rischbieth and the architect George Temple-Poole. She later married George Temple-Poole in 1918.
Travel and New Style
With the money she earned, Daisy traveled overseas from 1909 to 1911. She studied art at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London. When she returned to Perth, she opened her own art studio. She also worked as an interior designer and taught at Fremantle Technical School.
After visiting Europe, Daisy's painting style changed. She started focusing more on landscapes and native wildflowers. She painted them in the Impressionist style, which captures feelings and light. She was asked to create a large art project for Savoy House in London. However, this project was stopped because of World War I.
Later Life and Advocacy
In 1917, Daisy Rossi joined the Australian Town Planning Association. She was one of the first women to be a member. In 1920, she and George Temple-Poole had a daughter named Iseult.
Daisy kept painting and showing her art around Australia. Her work was also displayed at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition in Wembley. But in 1926, a fire destroyed her studio and many of her paintings from Europe. Her eyesight also started to get worse, making it hard to paint.
Daisy worked hard to improve things for women and for the arts. She wrote articles for different publications. She used pen names like Eva Bright and Mary Temple. She also gave talks and taught art classes. In 1960, her eyesight got a bit better, and she painted again for a short time. She moved to Victoria in 1966 and passed away on August 4, 1974. You can find some of her artworks at the National Trust of Australia and the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
