I am drawn to the ordinary possessions of other people from past generations…

Paintings by Rachel Ross
Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit crap and that annoying sense of self deprecation starts creeping in, I hunt out work by other artists and makers that I love and read what they have to say about their practice. It makes me feel instantly better knowing that there are so many like minded people out there, who no doubt similarly have this same nagging doubt occassionally about why they get up every morning and do what they do, make what they make. It’s a regular reminder that I am succssful, I do work hard, I do love what I do and that its OK to sometimes have a crap day or a crap week, as tomorrow might be a great day, next week might be the best ever yet. One artist in particular whose work inspires me so much and makes my heart sometimes miss a beat, is Rachel Ross. I absolutely adore the paintings by Rachel Ross and I must hunt down the book of her work that a friend showed me a few years ago. To be able to flick through it’s pages and see her beautiful paintings on a ragular basis would be a good tonic.
I am drawn to the ordinary possessions of other people from past generations. Letters, notebooks, ribbons, keys – these all represent unknown lives and stories of their own. They speak to us and make a connection through time. My subjects have become worn through use and handling, whether a pair of shoes, a scratched spoon or a yellowed letter. Some might have been valued while others were barely noticed. All have made it to me. My work is both an appreciation of the objects as they are – their form, colour and patina – and also what they might represent to artist and viewer.
Teaspoons often feature in her paintings and with them the reflections of her in her studio. The objects are painted with such detail, yet her relfection is always blurred or distorted and if relfected in the bowl of a spoon, upside down. It’s like she’s a ghost or spirit trapped within each shiny object – an echo of the past or a previous owner. The reflection is always the same but I never get tired of seeing it and trying to bring her into focus to see her more clearly. From the images I’ve seen of her work online, I don’t get a sense of the scale. I don’t know if they’re to scale or in miniature or larger thatn life. I’d love to see an exhibition of her work and be able to see the paintings up close in person. So I’m delighted to discover that she’s going to be having a solo show at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh between June and July! Here are a few of her images – I’ve taken these directly from her website which you MUST visit to see more…. Paintings by Rachel Ross Paintings by Rachel Ross

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.