Tilde Showing Rachael Donaldson in August
“Terra”
Rachael Donaldson
Mixed Media Paintings
Tilde will host a First Friday Reception for the Portland artist Rachael Donaldson from 6pm-9pm, Friday, August 6. Show runs through Tuesday, August 31. For several years Rachael has been working on the series titled, “Terra”, Latin for earth or land. Growing up in the Utah and Arizona, Rachael was acutely aware of the impressive landscapes surrounding her. With the layers of geological time visible everywhere and the unrelenting forces of nature that wear them away, this series reflects the deep visual influences that growing up in the southwest has had on her art.
Throughout the series she has focused on a process oriented exploration of repeated layering and removal of paint, attempting to convey the essence of those vast desert vistas and surfaces-both natural and manmade-affected by the weathering forces of time and the elements. Her persistent use of dots has been an intentional choice, utilized as a consistent compositional backdrop for her painting process and as a visual reference to horizon lines in landscapes. The application of the dots, a meditative practice of obsessive repetition… is like getting a little lost in her work.
Paint is mixed in bulk, applied to boards in layers with the leftover paint used as a base for the next piece. Mixed from the original batch, the colors change subtly with each sequential piece, resulting in a subtle and cohesive development of surface and composition. Finally the layers are carefully sanded away, the finished work coming up through the layers, discovered like a precious rock found in the dirt.
Located in Sellwood, Tilde hosts a revolving monthly art show, with receptions on the 1st Friday of each month. Tilde, a modern lifestyle shop, offers a well-edited selection of women’s accessories and home decorative items that are created, hands-on, by either an individual artist or design group. Displayed in a home/gallery environment each product has an artist’s statement displayed nearby to reveal the story behind each item.
Tilde
7919 SE 13th
Portland, OR 97202
503-234-9600