September 5-October 9, 2020 Rachel Brask's solo exhibit, "Weathering The Storm" will be on exhibit at HeARTspot Gallery, East Providence, RI. If you are interested in purchasing any of the paintings you see below, please contact HeARTspot Art Center & Gallery: heartspotart@gmail.com or call (401) 383-7577.  

An Opening Reception will be held Friday, September 25, 2020, 6-9pm at the gallery, 1970 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence, RI. Private viewings can be arranged to see the Weathering The Storm collection by calling or emailing HeARTspot.

Artist Statement:

"While many see rainy days as sad and gloomy, I see something different during storms. I see how sheets of pouring raindrops cause distortion of the scene beyond, blending colors and shapes together to drip down windowpanes in constant motion. Colors seem a little clearer during rain, and the storm can sometimes interrupt our day, much like how COVID-19 has put our lives on pause. But in these frozen moments, what are you grateful for? What small instances of hope or joy do you embrace, even if your prior expectations were wiped out by the rain, or by the virus? How has the storm changed you?

These paintings are made and then destroyed in the process. After I create detailed pointillism landscapes, I use gravity and the sticky goo of stand-oil and a brush to wipe them out, leaving a flawed and different outcome than I began with. I embrace the changes that come from working intensely on editing and blending the remaining drips and paint smudges, until an abstracted rainy landscape emerges days later when the material settles. Likewise, this coronavirus storm has broken down many aspects of our lives, even our core identities, and we’re in constant states of rebuilding ourselves and who we are.

In today’s increasingly chaotic and uncertain world, I want you to be able to look through my rainy day “windows” and find a peaceful contemplative moment in order to mentally breathe and reflect. While storm clouds of a global pandemic loom over us, how we weather the storm can determine how we see the rainbow glowing in the midst of it. Our experience in the storm deepens our experience of sunny days. There is beauty to be found in the storm."  ~ Rachel Brask

Links: Virtual Video Tour   •  3D Mapped Virtual Tour  •  Video Playlist of Exhibit  •  HeARTspot Gallery website