Bio
An emerging artist, Rachel Harvey lives and paints in Mt. Hood, Oregon. Although she took drawing and watercolor classes in college, Rachel put art aside to pursue a career in accounting and finance. At the age of 38, Rachel once again delved into painting, this time with oils. She immediately fell in love with it and soon realized she wanted to make a career of it. Although Rachel still works part-time in the financial arena, painting is what she’s passionate about.
Artist Statement
I paint because it brings me a sense of satisfaction and ease. I love the feel of the paint on the canvas, translated through the brush to my hand; I love to see my vision emerge on the canvas. When I paint landscapes, I am reminded of the depth and complexity of the world I otherwise often take for granted. My goal is to share that sense of wonder and awe through my paintings.
I begin a painting by finding a composition that draws me in. Although I create representational art, I am moved by the abstract-the shapes of the shadows, the geometry of the relationships between objects-and often compose the painting accordingly. Sometimes I create an initial sketch and other times I just dive right in; I often find the latter to be the most satisfying. I know I’m finished with a work when there is just enough detail to sustain truth without offending clarity.
Whether painting en plein air, or in the studio, I find nature to be unendingly fascinating. Its inspiration is like the zoom of a camera lens: one day it’s a broad, sweeping vista that moves me, the next day, a clump of grass. I love the brilliant colors of autumn, as well as the subtle gradation of grey in the receding hills on an overcast day. Oils are the perfect medium in which to interpret the world around me; they are flexible, easily changed and never behave the same way twice-I love it!
Process
I use a painterly approach to create representational art. In both my landscapes and still lifes, I endeavor to use the minimum detail necessary to accurately portray the subject.
I paint with oils on stretched canvas, canvas boards and primed masonite. When the subject is graphically-oriented, I choose the masonite for its smooth surface, which lends itself to finer detail. I take canvas boards with me when painting en plein air, or outdoors, as they are more compact than stretched canvas and easier to fit in my backpack. In the studio, I prefer stretched canvas for its slight “give” to the pressure of the brush, and its greater surface tooth.
I begin by finding a composition that draws me in. In the studio, this usually involves cropping the photograph; when painting en plein air, I form a square from the two “ells” of the thumbs and forefingers of both hands to mask off and isolate the view. I squint to determine if the shapes and contrasts are pleasing. Using a thin wash of paint and walnut oil (odorless mineral spirits if I’m outdoors), I tone the canvas. After a preliminary mental placement of the subject on the canvas, I use a darker color to sketch in the basic design of the painting. When painting landscapes, I begin painting at the top of the canvas and work my way down, dealing with the darks and the lights as I reach them. For still life paintings, I begin with the primary subject and paint everything else in relation to it.
Because I paint alla prima, or all at once, wet-into-wet, I don’t worry about getting the background areas physically underneath the foreground; the goal is simply to make them appear that way. Oils are supremely suitable to this style of painting, as they are flexible and easily moved around. If I find that a color went too far into neighboring territory, I can take the other color and shove it back into place.
An emerging artist, Rachel Harvey lives and paints in Mt. Hood, Oregon. Although she took drawing and watercolor classes in college, Rachel put art aside to pursue a career in accounting and finance. At the age of 38, Rachel once again delved into painting, this time with oils. She immediately fell in love with it and soon realized she wanted to make a career of it. Although Rachel still works part-time in the financial arena, painting is what she’s passionate about.
Artist Statement
I paint because it brings me a sense of satisfaction and ease. I love the feel of the paint on the canvas, translated through the brush to my hand; I love to see my vision emerge on the canvas. When I paint landscapes, I am reminded of the depth and complexity of the world I otherwise often take for granted. My goal is to share that sense of wonder and awe through my paintings.
I begin a painting by finding a composition that draws me in. Although I create representational art, I am moved by the abstract-the shapes of the shadows, the geometry of the relationships between objects-and often compose the painting accordingly. Sometimes I create an initial sketch and other times I just dive right in; I often find the latter to be the most satisfying. I know I’m finished with a work when there is just enough detail to sustain truth without offending clarity.
Whether painting en plein air, or in the studio, I find nature to be unendingly fascinating. Its inspiration is like the zoom of a camera lens: one day it’s a broad, sweeping vista that moves me, the next day, a clump of grass. I love the brilliant colors of autumn, as well as the subtle gradation of grey in the receding hills on an overcast day. Oils are the perfect medium in which to interpret the world around me; they are flexible, easily changed and never behave the same way twice-I love it!
Process
I use a painterly approach to create representational art. In both my landscapes and still lifes, I endeavor to use the minimum detail necessary to accurately portray the subject.
I paint with oils on stretched canvas, canvas boards and primed masonite. When the subject is graphically-oriented, I choose the masonite for its smooth surface, which lends itself to finer detail. I take canvas boards with me when painting en plein air, or outdoors, as they are more compact than stretched canvas and easier to fit in my backpack. In the studio, I prefer stretched canvas for its slight “give” to the pressure of the brush, and its greater surface tooth.
I begin by finding a composition that draws me in. In the studio, this usually involves cropping the photograph; when painting en plein air, I form a square from the two “ells” of the thumbs and forefingers of both hands to mask off and isolate the view. I squint to determine if the shapes and contrasts are pleasing. Using a thin wash of paint and walnut oil (odorless mineral spirits if I’m outdoors), I tone the canvas. After a preliminary mental placement of the subject on the canvas, I use a darker color to sketch in the basic design of the painting. When painting landscapes, I begin painting at the top of the canvas and work my way down, dealing with the darks and the lights as I reach them. For still life paintings, I begin with the primary subject and paint everything else in relation to it.
Because I paint alla prima, or all at once, wet-into-wet, I don’t worry about getting the background areas physically underneath the foreground; the goal is simply to make them appear that way. Oils are supremely suitable to this style of painting, as they are flexible and easily moved around. If I find that a color went too far into neighboring territory, I can take the other color and shove it back into place.
Email: rachel@rachelharveyart.com
541.806.3727
Home Bio Still Lifes/Florals Landscapes Page 1 2 3 4 5 Representation/Events
© 2009 Rachel Harvey
541.806.3727
Home Bio Still Lifes/Florals Landscapes Page 1 2 3 4 5 Representation/Events
© 2009 Rachel Harvey