December 5th, 2025Artists of the Central Highlands
As a child, Rosa Fedele was avidly in love with books and devoured anything with beautiful and spellbinding words and imagery that would allow her to escape into other worlds. By the age of 10 she had already decided she wanted to be an artist and a writer. Rosa chatted with Donna Kelly.
Donna: What is your media/medium?
Rosa: My preferred medium is oil, my style can change from realism to figurative/illustrative, with a touch of absurdism thrown in – all a tad genre-defying and often veering into the world of whimsy.
Donna: You do great animals and classic cars – what is the drawcard for you?
Rosa: Many years ago, I was asked to paint several scenes from the iconic movie, Mad Max. It was then I realised that I loved painting cars, especially those from the 1950s to late 1960s; they have a unique design finesse – the fins, the curves, the chrome – hailing from another exciting era, devoid of the generic same-same we see today.
Then, one day, I added a golden retriever to a 1954 FJ Holden ute and suddenly – bam – I seemed to touch a magical place that resonated with both vintage and classic car-lovers and dog-lovers.
I’m passionate about preserving these beautiful machines on canvas; reflections and sunshine flashing off seductively curvaceous chrome, the patina of old duco, bumpers wrapped lovingly around steel bodies, the layers of colour and texture and, of course, delicious red rust. I’m the crazy lady you’ll see lying on the ground trying to photograph your old mini or caddy from a new angle.
Donna: Where can we see your work – I know you just had an open studio…
Rosa: The Kyneton Ridge Artspace will feature two of my darling doggos at their upcoming Summer Show, which opened on Saturday, November 29 and runs through to Sunday, February 1, 2026.
The Convent Gallery have also invited me to participate in the Rainbow Exhibition, as part of the 2026 ChillOut Festival in March.
Donna: So finally, why the move to Trentham?
Rosa: Trentham is my second “tree change”. My first was from Balmain, Sydney to stunning Bowral in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales. I moved out of the city in order to find a larger studio space and expand my art practice.
The Daylesford Arts Cooperative have now kindly welcomed me into their fold, and I was absolutely overwhelmed with visitors to my recent open studio weekend.
Already I’ve met so many local classic car and dog-lovers and am bursting with excitement about all the wonderful new projects ahead.
