I am a contemporary Irish artist who has created my own brand “Rita Oates Artist”specialising in designer scarves, framed prints, greeting cards, and stationery. My collection combines images with messages of hope and encouragement that are positive, meaningful and thought-provoking. The work is inspired by nature, kindness and the power of the human spirit. My art journey began in Kansas City, USA. I was born there, the daughter of Irish immigrants. My childhood was a rollercoaster ride between the contrasting worlds of a bustling, diverse American city and the quiet solitude of a rural isolated farm on a mountainside in Co. Leitrim. The toing and froing of annual holidays eventually resulted with our family to Ireland to live in the late 1960s.