Emerging Artist, Art Therapist, University Instructor and Yoga Teacher, Allan Rosales announced this evening that he took the step to ‘BE’ an artist in 2015. This evening, on the fourth floor of the new Central Branch of the Calgary Public Library, a lovely group of supportive friends and family members gathered to enjoy the second Solo Exhibit of Allan’s Mosaic Portraits, four mothers.

Allan B. Rosales is a Calgarian born and raised. He completed his Bachelors in Psychology with a minor in Fine Art from the University of Calgary in 2000. Subsequently, Allan went on to complete a Masters in Art Therapy from Concordia University in 2005. In 2015 Allan began showing his artwork in group shows in and around Calgary. His most recent work is an unexpected departure from his paintings and drawings of the past.

For those of you who work in the core, this is an exhibit that you might wish to take in before it’s Friday close.  The four portraits are large in scale and their palette brings in a sense of connection with nurturing, growth and birth.  Using an interesting process of layering multiple images, Allan creates a sense of continuity and evolution. In my mind, the work elevates the mother figure to a place of importance, if not celebrity, and while each mother is rooted in Allan’s own narrative, we can all relate.

Tonight, Allan provided a time of reflection and exchange.  He reminded me very much of our friend and mentor, Mark Vazquez-Mackay in his generous manner.  Through his talk he evoked, in us, warm remembrances of our own mothers,  I enjoyed Allan’s recollections of his own mother’s lemon meringue pie-making and the description of every feast table enjoyed in the traditions of his home.

Thank you, CPL and thank you to Allan Rosales for a lovely reception…sharing food, based on Canadian/Filipino culture.

Thanks to James, my son, for staying with Max.  Thanks to Linda and Wendy for sharing the event.

If I look exhausted, it is because I am!!  But this hug made me feel a lot better!  Allan Rosales is one of the kindest people you could ever meet.

Below, my friend, Wendy Lees took the Central Branch’s first year anniversary by storm and created the transparent and delightful window segments you see displayed below, with some where around 200 Calgarians.