Rachel Avenia-Prol Fine Arts at Oakland Farmers Market

Please stop by Rachel's booth at the Farmers Market.

http://rachelavenia.com

"I paint landscapes and seascapes, preferring to work outdoors en plein air whenever possible. My paintings are keepsakes of those rare days, free from the confines of my office, when there is nothing but light and color. They are the tangible souvenirs of otherwise fleeting sunny days. I especially love to paint seascapes in New Jersey and Cape Cod and the mountains and marshes of New York.

The pleasure of working with pure color is what draws me to pastels. Pastels are immediate and tactile. They provide an opportunity to play with and balance the textures of paper and pigment. After trying many other mediums I finally turned to pastels, and immediately fell in love. I am fascinated with the depth of color, the tremendous textural possibilities, and the incredible subtleties of the medium.

My goal in my paintings is to make visible the color and form of a beautiful setting. I aspire to create paintings which invite the viewer to the scene. I paint places that are familiar, yet retain a hint of obscurity.

I select landscapes and seascapes that capture my attention—whether it’s the color of the light on the first warm day of spring or the long cast shadows of fall. I look for a spark of color and the play of light. You will find water in most of my paintings. Like a divining rod, I have always been drawn to the water—lakes, streams, oceans, and bays. Water brings such beauty and movement to the landscape.

In my current work I continue to refine and simplify, always looking for the subtle qualities that pass unnoticed but when emphasized, contribute so much. I am also exploring how to incorporate the figure into the landscape, and how to work with the powerful dynamic that’s created once a figure is introduced."