Lunge to the Side

Lunge to the Side is 11" by 14" watercolour on paper mounted onto a cradle back panel. The wood sides are left unpainted and sealed with a clear varnish.

 My goal with this piece was to explore into using a more diverse pallet for skin tones as well as achieving an overall feeling of peace and concentration. Stretching is meditative for dancers and gives you time to connect with your body before you really start moving.

 My inspirational reference photo was from the impressive collection of Chris Peddicord. His dance photography is full of passion and grace and I look forward to using more of his photos for reference in the future. Be sure to check his site out!

This painting is now for sale on Etsy.

Look for the Sun

'Look for the Sun' is the first in my new dance series. I have spent the past 6 months experimenting and playing with watercolours and I am finally ready to release this work to the world. While I am always working on my figurative and colour work my big qualm regarding this project was how to mount my drawings. I am not a fan of framing and putting my work behind glass like classical watercolours. I decided to put my art into the mixed media category by adhering it to a wood cradle board and finishing it off with an archival gloss varnish.

This painting can be purchased on Etsy through this link:
Look to the Sun

Dance Sketch 16

Some people think ballet class is boring. Ballet is filled with small seemingly unimportant exercises, but one of the beautiful things about ballet is that every little exercise counts. The work you do at the barre shows up on stage as much as the most difficult allegro (jumps.) Like many things in life every moment counts towards making you the best you can be. The process involves some blood, sweat and tears but if you work hard the end result is always rewarding. Give plies the credit they deserve and make them count every single time!

This painting is available as a print at my Etsy shop!

Dance Sketch 15

Each day I dance I dance for me,

Nothing else makes my soul so free.

From the day I learned to pointe my toe with care

To the last jump that sends me soaring through air.

A second of perfection; hold that pose.

The joy in my soul no one knows.

Inhale the magic and exhale the bliss,

Pure moments of dance I will not miss.

-Rachelle

Dance Sketch 14

   

When I venture to the dance studio each week I think about all the things that contribute to the magic of dance and how to pass it on to the next generation of dancers. As a ballet teacher it is easy to get stuck on the technical aspects of dance and forget about the essence and overall feeling that each step can imply. Sometimes a simple reach or roll on the floor can be equally as powerful as some of the most difficult steps.

Dance sketch 14 is about those simple moments.

 One arm, one reach, one moment of beauty! 

Prints of this sketch are available in my etsy shop!

Ribbons in the Wind

Given the sudden change in weather from blissful sun filled days to grey dreary weeks of rain I thought I would paint something to brighten our days.

Visit my Etsy shop if you would like to purchase prints of this painting!

When The Sky Falls

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"  - Elanore Roosevelt

 

Some days my dreams seem impossible. My lofty ideas of  my ideal life melt into a soup of despair leaving me feeling helplessly sad. The feeling eventually passes but the memory of it reminds me to be grateful that I live a life full of dreams... some of which have become my reality. When the sky falls I now sit back and wait for my new dreams to be revealed.

When The Sky Falls (16" by 20" watercolour and india ink) is based off of Dance Sketch 11