Rosaleen Moriarty-Simmonds OBE
MFPA Student Artist
Born: 1960
Lives in: South Wales
Painting style: Mouth painter
Subjects: Portrait, Figurative, Abstract, Sunset, Silhouette, Landscape, Water, Scenery, Animals, Flowers, Still Life, Sketches and everything in between!
ROSALEEN MORIARTY-SIMMONDS OBE - Describes herself as a Disabled Businesswoman, Equality Campaigner, Prolific Volunteer and Charitable Worker; Author, Actor, Media Presenter, Inspirational Speaker and Artist with the world renowned, Mouth & Foot Painting Artists.
Born without arms or legs as a result of her mother having been prescribed the drug Thalidomide during pregnancy; this has not prevented Rosaleen from leading a full and active life. She graduated from Cardiff University in 1985 with a degree in Psychology, then worked as an Executive Officer in the Civil Service for seven years, before establishing the RMS Disability Issues Consultancy in 1995 (www.rms-consultancy.co.uk).
A keen supporter of performing arts, Rosaleen has worked with disabled and non-disabled, professional and amateur performers. Her most recent acting foray was in “The Cardiff Tapes” performed at Chapter Arts Centre in 2019. Rosaleen is also a freelance television and radio presenter. With regular appearances on BBC Radio Wales, she was commissioned by them to present four programmes called 'Rosie's World’. You will also often hear her speaking at conferences, book clubs, schools and after diner events.
In June 2007, Rosaleen completed and published her autobiography, intertwining her life story with a definitive history of the drug Thalidomide. ‘Four Fingers and Thirteen Toes’ was re-published in 2009, the story continues through her regular blog at - https://www.rms-consultancy.co.uk/blog/
Happily married to Stephen, her lifetime friend, and with one son, Rosaleen’s hobbies are theatre and concert going, and photography.
A member of many disability and other organisations, Rosaleen is also a Vice President of the Cardiff Business Club, and protagonist for the Thalidomide Memorial - dedicated in June 2016, which marks the lives and achievements of Thalidomide Impaired people globally. Also, Patron of Flamingo Chicks, Patron of Flat Spaces, and Chairperson of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board for Cardiff University.
After a lifetime of Campaigning for Rights and Equality for Disabled People, Rosaleen was awarded an OBE in the 2015 Queen's New Years Honours List. She also received an Honorary Fellowship from Cardiff University in July 2017, for "Her Outstanding Work and contribution to the Equality and Rights of Disabled People". In December 2018, Rosaleen received an Honorary Doctorate and Honorary Fellowship from Swansea University, again for her equality work.
She is currently High Sheriff in Nomination for South Glamorgan 2022-2023.
Having always enjoyed art, Rosaleen is delighted to have been accepted by the Mouth & Foot Painting Artists Association as a Student Artist, to develop this skill. Rosaleen has shown her dedication to the MFPA by assisting, painting and exhibiting with fellow members on many occasions. Rosaleen has also been commissioned by individuals and corporate clients for a number of interesting projects and has exhibited around Wales, Nationally and Internationally. She is particularly proud of her very successful Solo Exhibitions in August 2014 and 2019/20.
‘Becoming a mouth painter with the MFPA has allowed me to express my inner-most feelings, through strong, vibrant images and colour, that I hope reflects my personality; with the potential for my work to seen by a world-wide audience’
Follow Rosaleen on Social Media
MFPA accepts no responsibility for content of external websites
Join our mailing lists
If you would like to be put on our mailing list to receive our greeting cards, calendars and other products then please fill in the form here.