Rachael Engell - Rachael Ann Art

My paintings are done on canvas or cradled wood and have layers built upon them; starting with an intuitive and loose approach; usually using mediums for texture, charcoal, and mark making before moving into layers of acrylic and or oil paint as I tighten and render from abstract to realism. I’ve intentionally built my process to love the work in each step. Many of my subjects are birds and most of my paintings come to me and I can’t let them go until I paint them (or keep painting them). At times I paint in series including landscapes or still life rooted in nature to go alongside my birds and tell a story. I have found that birds hold a great deal of meaning and symbolism for many people and I paint to deepen my understanding of this and capture the story wanting to be told.