Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
An artist’s journey
Examining the palette of Rachel Brown through pathways, botanicals and on to the homes of the Main Line
The WELCOME window at the website of Rachel Brown Fine Art bids the viewer to enter a paradise of beauty, enriched with a natural exuberance clearly modulated by years of study and experience.
Brown holds a B.A. in Fine Arts from Pennsylvania State University, with integral training in the Temple University Rome Program through the Tyler School of Art, and enriched by extensive travel sabbaticals.
In selecting Recent Work, one can choose Botanicals, Bottles, Pathways, Oysters, and Home Renderings.
Sampling Botanicals is a rewarding foray into exquisite oils with lush hues, from delightfully titled “hurry home to you,” and “afterthoughts,” to “worth the wait.”
These astonishing floral impressions – at present, surpassing fifty in number – unexpectedly transport the eyes and spirit to the likes of the polychromatic Romantic melodies of Fryderyk Chopin or Sir Edward Elgar.
“The process is both a respite and a therapy,” the artist imparts. “I’ve always been most influenced by the colors, light, and textures of the natural world - constantly changing in sight, sound and smell. I am inspired, even exhilarated, to capture the essence of this dynamic brilliance.”
Both brawny and delicate, Bottles engages the viewer with rich and robust oils depicting, as examples, “A Special Gift,” “Single Barrel,” “Summer’s Rose,” and, teasingly, “Champagne before noon on a Wednesday.”
Brown consistently portrays the wonder, passion, joy, and heart of day-to-day living embodied in this curation of whiskey, wine, and champagne labels.
Pathways offers a fascinating variety and topographical range, giving insights into Brown’s reach and gain of a wide net, “west coast,” “wait for it,” and “along the water.”
The oil on canvas titled “through new territory” entices the aesthete into a shared discovery with the artist, while “pathways #4” intrigues the observer with vivid choices.
The category-listing Oysters will amaze – a microcosm of earthy existence.
Brown’s imaginative use of delineated color from her prodigious palette produces a compelling understanding and appreciation for the significance of tiny creatures in our ecosystem.
The artist transports us from our grand-schemed and digitized world into a universe of shimmering beauty and primordial undulating shapes.
The eye scans “turquoise water,” “island creek bounty,” “prince edward shell,” and two differing renditions of “five shells” resulting in a profound reverence for the depth of the artist’s skill and versatility.
When reaching Brown’s “home renderings” gallery, the viewer quietly stops for a moment, taken aback by the detail and breadth of this bountiful series of “hand-inked on acid-free archival paper” architectural drawings.
Each and every one of these precisely executed drawings sensitively and successfully evokes the significance and breadth of the concept of “home.”
In our fast-paced and sometimes frenetic world, one discovers solace, calm, and safeguard in these renderings customized by the artist.
As one fully knows, Philadelphia and the Main Line thrive on the pedigree and preservation value of our local history evidenced in shapes and structures.
The contributions of Brown, a resident of Wayne, play an inimitable role in historic preservation while enriching the lives of the families whose homes are portrayed.
In Brown’s words, “Creating art is an indispensable part of who I am. I feel most successful and fulfilled when I let the piece develop on its own, without pretense or judgement, without overthinking or overworking a canvas.
In addition to several upcoming autumn exhibits, on August 1st, Gypsy Lane Home, 95th Street & 3rd Avenue in Stone Harbor, will exhibit Brown’s original oil paintings, with a happy hour starting at 5 pm. To view Brown’s work, go to: artatrachelbrown.com .