10/27/2026
🎨 We love getting to know the people behind the art we carry at Johnny Ruth, and today, we want you to meet Rosemary Lawton
Rosemary took art in high school and loved it, but she never really pursued it afterwards. She went on to work as a musician and substitute teacher. When the pandemic brought both jobs to a halt, she found herself drawing again.
She discovered a watercolour technique called line and wash, and something clicked. She’d always found watercolour a little frustrating, but this approach felt different. As Rosemary puts it, it’s “almost like a painted colouring book.”
She created a whole collection of paintings in 2020 and 2021, before music took centre stage again.
Then, after welcoming her baby this February, she started painting for fun once more. What began as a quiet little hobby to keep her occupied while feeding her baby turned into people asking about her work. Before she knew it, she was making prints again!
And we love where her creativity takes her. Recently, Rosemary worked as a musician aboard a cruise ship sailing from Greenland to Newfoundland. She brought her little watercolour journal along and painted the landscapes and moments she encountered on the way. Those little sketches are now memories of an adventure she’ll treasure.
From finding her way back to art to capturing places she might never see the same way again, Rosemary’s story reminds us that sometimes the things we love never really leave us. ❤️
You can find Rosemary’s beautiful prints exclusively at Johnny Ruth Downtown.
Next time you’re in, come have a look!