A 2025 graduate of Escalon High School, now attending Modesto Junior College where she is majoring in Art History, Rose Percey seized a recent opportunity to showcase some of her work.
She was the featured Artist-In-Residence earlier this month at the Oakdale Morning Market, setting up a booth with a variety of her artwork, from note cards and bookmarks, including watercolors and oils.
Her business card lists her as “Rosie’s Fine Art” and she couldn’t have been happier to settle in for a morning at the market, which draws patrons from throughout the Central Valley area.
“It’s so exciting to be able to have this opportunity,” Percey said. “This has been a very big learning process but I’ve been excited to be able to share my art with the community and I’ve gotten to meet so many great people.”
While in high school, Percey was active in the Arts Alive annual showcase and also was in the Art Club all four years, serving two years as vice president and then taking over as president during her junior and senior years.
“I did tons of painting,” she admitted of preparing for the Morning Market appearance. “It’s all original except for a few prints, everything else has all been hand painted.”
Percey added that many people told her she should find a way to get her art to a wider audience and she was grateful for the chance to do that through the Artist-In-Residence program, which features a different artist each week at the Oakdale market.
She also pointed to the strong base she was provided with at Escalon High School, noting especially the guidance and inspiration of art teacher Jewell Kelley.
“She was the most amazing teacher you could ever ask for,” Percey said. “She is an angel on earth; so kind and giving.”
Percey said the community of Escalon as a whole is also supportive of its art lovers, and she aspires to continue learning.
“There’s always so much room to learn and improve,” she said.
The Artist-In-Residence appearance gave her the chance to interact with potential customers but, more than that, gave her the opportunity to talk about and share her work with others.
While she would love eventually to have a ‘side gig’ with her art, she has her hands full right now, with two jobs and being a fulltime college student.
“It’s a very packed schedule,” she admitted.
But for the young artist, she really can’t remember a time when she wasn’t interested in creating.
“Forever,” she said of how long she has been painting. “There are pictures of me since I was so little, with a paintbrush in hand. But the last four years, I’ve gotten serious about it.”
