Rachel English American

Born and raised under the wide Texas skies, I have formed a friendship with them over my lifetime. The skies are commonly associated with the heavens, yet they evoke a sense of grounded-ness, too. Rain or shine, the skies shape our experience in both ordinary ways, and in ways that draw us closer to the divine, through their mystifying light and scale. My work reflects on these perspectives, reconciling spiritual and earthly domains.

The luminosity, texture, and depth of cloud forms as subject matter have the power to create quiet moments of transformation for the observer. On canvas, the intimacy of their presence is magnified; who is observing whom? Guided by photographs of the skies primarily taken at home in the Texas Hill Country, my approach breaks down animated horizons into comprehensible color studies, then increases size and detail with scruffy layers of oil paint, ultimately resulting in large and lifelike final compositions. The terrain is omitted—a subtle suggestion of weightlessness—offering a respite from the chaotic landscape of modern life. These paintings are my personal way of wrestling heaven to earth, in an effort to satisfy the human urge to cherish Existence, and to revere its transcendent meaning. - Rachel English