Rosemarie Hurst, who was born in Sussex, England and came to Canada when she was 8, has always had a love for photography. From a young age, she always had a camera, one of those simple boxed ones, where she was able to capture many moments. Although as she grew older, her photography transformed from trying to capture anything and everything to focusing on nature and the creatures that roam it. This is evident in her work.

When asked about this pivot towards nature, Rosemarie mentions that there is a certain tranquility in nature and a beauty it provides that she cannot help but try and capture through photography. She often finds herself snapping photos of the inside of flowers, stating that “it is amazing to witness the perfection within”.

As an avid photographer, Rosemarie has not only sold many of her photos but has won awards and been featured in successful exhibits. For example, a beautiful photo of Ladner Harbour she took was on the front of the March of Dimes calendar while four other photos of hers were featured within. In 2014, she also won 2nd place in the City of Delta’s Earth Day photo contest with the same photo.

In addition, her photo of E. Pauline Johnson’s cairn in Stanley Park was also accepted by the Six Nations Council and displayed in a trophy case at Pauline’s birthplace in Chiefswood Museum.

To Rosemarie, art and the ability to create has been a saving grace. After a stroke that was then followed by a ruptured brain aneurysm, which caused blood to spill into surrounding brain tissues, the ability to continue to be creative has helped immensely. She received the Phyllis Delaney “Life After Stroke” award from the Stroke Recovery Association of BC for overcoming exceptional circumstances.

Apart from photography, Rosemarie has also written and recorded her own music. She has recorded two CDs and is currently on the journey of putting together a third one.

In October 2015, the singer Thomas Hellman sang an excerpt from Rosemarie’s “The Song My Paddle Sings”' during an interview with Margaret Atwood on CBC Radio Canada.

Lucky to be alive after her stroke, she finally decided to embark on the journey of recording a homage to the poet, E. Pauline Johnson whom she considers to be a hero in her life. The homage she recorded, known as ‘Faithfully Yours – The Ballads of E. Pauline Johnson’, is a collection of songs inspired by Johnson that Rosemarie herself wrote melodies, sings and plays on the album. Born out of this endeavor was the incredible chance to sing and perform at the Chiefswood Museum where E. Pauline Johnson was born.