Art / Artist of the Month
Artist of the Month: Rae Roche
This month’s artist is Rae Roche, whose limited edition prints of Behind the Day and Breaking Away are available through our online shop.
Visual artist Rae Roche works predominantly in paint, making works that explore colour but remain ambiguous and open to interpretation. She is enthralled by the humdrum of everyday life. “I am inspired by almost anything,” she says. “It can be a song, a conversation, a newspaper article or just seeing how two colours in the environment around me sit together. I make work as a result of absorbing the environment around me almost subconsciously. I love walking around Bristol and people watching; even someone dressed in fairly plain office wear can be a visual feast of tone and texture.”
After working in office-based roles and taking time out to be a full-time parent, Rae retrained and has been honing her style ever since. Her abstract works, influenced by the ordinary, seem like a joyous triumph over the years that her talent was left untouched.
After living in south Bristol for 15 years and now residing in Chew Valley since last year, Rae has a strong connection to the city which has in turn had an undoubted influence over her work. “I enjoy pairing subdued tones with vibrant or clashing colours and this city has really fed into that,” the artist says. “I definitely feel that this is a city that supports and celebrates the arts; there is a vibe of experimentation and acceptance that allows creativity, in all forms, to thrive.”
The experimentation can be seen in Rae’s piece Behind the Day, prints of which she is exclusively selling through Bristol24/7. “I like using a variety of marks in my work and I am always on the hunt for tools to create new and interesting impressions in the surface of the paint,” Rae says. The tools that she selected for this piece allow the grain and texture of the wood to show through, contributing to an impressive tonal range.
Creating works on wooden panels or canvas, Rae’s works involve a lengthy process: “Most of my paintings are on wooden panels of canvas, so there are always prep days that involve sanding and oiling wood or building a canvas. I usually start with a pale wash of colour and then slowly build up blocks of tones bit by bit. I work wet on wet and try not to overthink what I’m doing. The image itself dictates each step.
“I like listening to podcasts and allow my conscious brain to focus on that, so the creative bit of my brain can have free rein. I have found over the years that this is the most productive way of working for me.”
Close to her workspace in Bedminster’s BV Studios, Rae has chosen Windmill Hill City Farm as the charity to receive the profits from her art. “I am a real fan of charities that use nature as therapy,” she says. “They do such a wide range of things that help all ages and needs and bring communities together, and make a great cuppa too.”
Rae will be exhibiting her work at Totterdown’s Front Room Art Trail in November. See more of Rae’s work on Instagram: @raerocheartist.
See all the work available from Rae and our previous featured artists at www.bristol247.com/shop.
Main image of Rae Roche by Donna Lyons
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