Ronni Rosen, who retired in 2024, is known to and admired by many small businesses throughout Long Island, NY, for her work as an advisor at the Stony Brook Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Suffolk County, NY. Her friends know her for her art, too.

But throughout her 25-year SBDC career, her dedication to helping small businesses succeed meant her passion for painting, pottery and other creative endeavors had to take a back seat. Now, with retirement opening a new chapter, Ronni is joyfully returning to her first love: Art. She’s not only painting more but has made new friends and learned new painting techniques on art retreats in Europe.

Here, in her own words, is her story: 

Enjoying a Lifelong Passion for Art in Retirement

“Art means everything to me!

“It has always been a part of my life. I’ve been an artist my entire life. There isn’t a day in which I’m not doing something artistic or creative—it’s just an essential part of who I am. If the phone rings, before I answer the call, I’m grabbing for my knitting or a notebook and pencil.

“Instead of going to a summer camp, I attended the Art Students League in New York when I was around 12 or 13. I loved painting and everything about art. 

“It was a very  ‘hippy’ time back then, and while others embraced that style, I showed up in a Peter Pan collar and a circle pin with my initials on it. I didn’t fit the typical ‘arty’ or ‘hippy’ mold, but I still loved being part of it all.

“I went on to major in Fine Arts at Washington University in St. Louis and later attended Parsons School of Design. After that, I began working in fashion design and textile design.

Imposter Syndrome Fostered by a Hyper-Competitive Industry

“But it was not for me. It was a cutthroat industry.

“People kept telling me I had talent.  But the one thing I was missing was self-esteem. I was scared all the time that I was going to be discovered to be an imposter. And it was paralyzing for me.

“Then, I got married, moved to Long Island, and escaped all of that.

Teaching Art

“My husband was an attorney, and he had a law practice. I raised the kids, did some freelancing, and became partners in an art school in Port Jefferson with a friend where I taught art to children

“I stenciled this quote from Picasso on the steps into the studio: 

“That pretty much explains what I’m about. I’m a very visual person. I notice everything—the way the late afternoon sun casts a purple shadow on the ground and the sun tints everything a fire-y shade of orange. I’m usually inspired by something I see that gives me an idea for a piece of art. 

“When I saw some pottery that was embellished with texture from fabric and objects at an art festival, I felt the need to work with clay.  I purchased a kiln and a venting system, and had it installed in my basement.  I started making little vessels and things and sold them through gallery shops and at shows for a number of years. 

“I’ve always done too many things. I did a lot of outdoor craft shows. I’m a knitter, I‘ve made jewelry. I’m a painter. I loved doing everything.

Divorce: How Life Interrupted Art

“My life changed drastically when I was divorced. I had to get a stable job with benefits.  

“I was hired by the SBDC in 1999.  I was given a tiny office with a computer and a binder, which was the SOP – Standard Operating Procedures. I was told to read the book and enter data into the computer, which I had never done before. 

“I was a very good typist, but I had no idea about computers and the first thing that popped up on the screen was an error message:  ‘You have committed a fatal error.’ “My first day on the job!  But then I thought, ‘ I started this job and I have to figure out.’ 

“I ended up staying at the SBDC for 25 years. 

Yearning to Get Back to Drawing and Painting

“During that time, I struggled to find time for my art. I would see other artists pursuing their passion and I always had a feeling of sadness and longing, and I knew that, somehow, I needed to find a way to get back to drawing and painting.   

 “It was very hard. I had to sell my kiln when I moved out of my house. I stopped doing shows because I couldn’t schlep all the stuff by myself.  But as I neared retirement, I had a little more spare time to start focusing on art.

Social Media Leads to Blending Art with Travel

“Traveling to paint was always a dream of mine. I tried to do it on my own several years ago. I went to Mexico by myself to a place that is known as a haven for artists, but, as inspiring as it was artistically, I just couldn’t bring myself to open my notebook wherever I was and sketch. Traveling alone just wasn’t for me. It just isn’t the way I work best.  

“When Covid hit I found many artists on Instagram, and I started following some whose work I admired. Then I took a few classes on Zoom that were being offered by various artists. During a workshop on Zoom, one of the artists mentioned that she and another artist were hosting a trip to Spain. There would be about 15 women, and they would all be staying together in one place, visiting the surrounding towns and painting every day. 

“I immediately knew it was something I would enjoy doing. I decided it would be my 75^th birthday present to myself and signed up before the Zoom class was over! The idea of traveling with a group of women who were there, like me, to soak up the scenery and local sights and paint together sounded like heaven—and it was!

“I signed up for another art retreat the following year. And it was incredible! We stayed in a charming villa in Italy and visited local towns. We learned new techniques and sketched and painted scenes inspired by the villa and the side trips we took. Most participants shared rooms, which I initially wasn’t sure about, but it ended up being great because you could discuss the day with your roommate. 

“There were about 16 or 17 participants, including women from Australia, Switzerland, and across the U.S. and Canada. We even connected before the trip through a WhatsApp group, which helped us plan and get to know each other.

“The thing that made these trips so great was that everything was arranged for you. The trips are organized by Uptrek, a travel company that books artist-led retreats in Europe and other locations.” The two artists who host the trips I’ve taken were Gayle Kabaker and Jennifer Orkin Lewis, both well-known illustrators with huge followings. Together, they are known as PaintwithGayleandJennifer .

Embracing an Artistic Life in Retirement

In retirement, Ronni has found her way back to the artistic life she put on a backburner for 25 years. Engaging with online art communities, signing up for painting retreats, and making friends with artists from around the world have inspired her work and made retirement a joy. 

Now, she sells or showcases her work in smaller venues like holiday boutiques or even in yoga studios, but she emphasizes that profit is not her motivator. “I’ve never done my art for the money—it’s always been about the joy of creating.”

Words of Wisdom

For Ronni, the impact of her recent trips goes far beyond new techniques or completed sketches. It’s a reminder that “I still love to paint, and I’m never going to stop!” She encourages others—especially older travelers—to consider structured retreats or workshops that combine art, community, and adventure. Thanks to the global reach of social media and online platforms, anyone can find a niche that suits their interests, from painting in Tuscan hillsides to birdwatching in remote forests.

Image and Art Source: Art and photos on this page are provided by and used with the permission of Ronni Rosen. The paintings are copyright 2024 by Ronni Rosen.

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