For Rosalie Grubb ’23, art has always been a constant. Despite her now intricate art pieces, her artistic journey actually began with plush toys and hamsters. In elementary school, Grubb began selling stuffed animal hamsters to classmates and crafting advertisements for these products, building an early platform to exercise her budding ingenuity. This early business venture prompted Grubb’s parents to encourage the pursuit of her artistic talent, converting a room in their house into a personal art studio and purchasing art supplies. Throughout her early years, Grubb began experimenting with painting and drawing, particularly with acrylic paints. While attending high school, Grubb honed her knowledge of art through advanced art classes, where she refined the technical skills she continues practicing today.

As a senior in high school, she won the highest award at the Scholastic Writing and Art Competition, the most prestigious writing and art competition for high schoolers in the U.S, called the “Gold Key” which is given to only five percent of applicants. As a result, Grubb received a partial scholarship towards tuition at an art college and the opportunity to display her work in the Hartford Museum.

Grubb's winning submission to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Since then, Grubb has submitted her art in various other competitions, most notably for Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet, a nationwide art initiative focused on climate change awareness. In 2020, she was one of the eight artists selected in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina paid to paint a 300-pound, 5 feet in diameter concrete globe, which was then displayed in Uptown Charlotte. Grubb became the youngest artist to be commissioned since the competition’s inception in 2005 and was even asked by the mayor of Charlotte to paint a smaller globe for her own personal display.

Grubb standing in front of her Cool Globe globe sculpture

Grubb begins her creative process by creating a realistic image using a reference photo she has taken herself. This initial step allows her to “learn the shading, the lighting, the actual shape of the figures.” From there, her art takes form internally. As explained by Grubb, “the reference image is just in my brain, I don’t look at it anymore. And that’s when I just go to a canvas.”

Digital artwork done by Grubb

Besides her finesse and thorough understanding of a variety of art mediums, the quirky style of Grubb’s art has allowed her to amass a worldwide appeal. She describes her style as “very colorful and very childlike,” citing early inspirations from the movie Ugly Dolls as well as Chinese and Japanese cartoon characters. Recently, she collaborated with Mable: Murphy Maude Originals, a producer of home goods printed with work from local artists. After being discovered by the company’s founder, Grubb spearheaded their children’s line with her designs consisting of cartoon fish, monsters, and dogs being displayed on couches, wallpaper, and bedding. Not only does Grubb’s art resonate with children, but her use of vibrant colors and unique characters have gained attention from adults as well. In her spare time, she receives a plethora of requests for her work, primarily painting on personal items such as shoes and purses, as well as on canvas.

Grubb surrounded by her designs produced by Murphy Maude Interiors

Despite her extensive collection of awards and projects, Grubb plans to continue exploring the endless possibilities available to her. She has ambitions to host her own art exhibit. Ultimately she aspires to create her own brand, which would grant her free usage and facilitate the development of her own designs.

The list of accomplishments and projects provides only a small insight into how integral art is to Grubb’s life. Her deep love for art is undeniable. Every curve of her brush stroke or the line of the charcoal exudes creativity with her cartoon-esque figures and bright colors. The subjects of her work are entirely unique, evident from her signature cutesy and colorful creatures she dubs “monsters” to her eclectic self-portraits.

Grubb hopes her art inspires others, to transcend the boundaries of creativity. She remarks, “Don’t take things too seriously. You can still have this childlike, trippy sense about the world. Take art and bring it to your imagination.” At the very least, this is the approach taken by Grubb, gifting viewers an insight into a perspective entirely unreal and entirely of her own.