rain mocha butter honey paper boots

The Sketchbook Project 2012

2012-02-15T00:15:00.001-05:00

This is my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project 2012 World Tour! You can see it in person in one of the many tour cities (including Brooklyn in April when the tour starts), or when it comes back to Brooklyn in October to be stored permanently at Brooklyn Art Library!

Happy Valentine's Day...

2012-02-04T23:24:00.005-05:00

Give the gift of art this holiday! Buy a silkscreen print for only $35, if you purchase before Valentine's Day! Contact me at rach@rachrach.com.

This piece was also chosen for American Illustration 30!

*note* the pink is slightly more fluorescent; the scanner doesn't seem to be able to pick it up exactly right.

Brooklyn Archives and The Future Library door

2012-01-24T16:37:00.003-05:00

My hand-lettered, hand-painted sign for Art House Co-op's new shop:

The top three photos are from the current sign (tempera), still intact (as of today, anyway). The first attempt (in acrylic, last photo) did not go so well... lesson learned.

day.job.activities.

2012-01-21T22:12:00.006-05:00

"I like to see people's hand in the world." -Margaret Kilgallen

I love Margaret Kilgallen's philosophy that hand-lettering is beautiful because of the imperfections. She was an amazing artist and still inspires me every day. If you haven't seen her and Barry McGee's Art:21, you DEFINITELY should watch it.

Here are some of the hand-lettered signs I've been doing for Art House Co-op:

Collab.

2012-01-13T00:06:00.004-05:00

This was a collaborative piece done with the amazing Joo Chung for a short story by the very talented Ben Fleming... the written piece along with a few other collaborative paintings will be in one of the upcoming Carrier Pigeon issues. (I posted a detail awhile ago, but never the whole thing..)

Enjoy!

Aran Stitches

2012-01-10T12:19:00.004-05:00

When visiting my mother in the fall, she gave me the Aran sweater that her mother knitted her many years ago. I love and am inspired by the various techniques that make such a beautiful collection of stitches. Some say that each pattern has a traditional interpretation, the patterns are symbols representing and protecting the hardworking fisherman; others argue that it's all fiction. I'm interested in the idea nonetheless, the notion that one repetitively knits these patterns/makes these specific marks into garments, in hopes to protect another while hugging and warming their bodies with wool.

I want to experiment with this kind of mark-making. I am doing a sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project, with the theme "It's Winter Where You Are..." and it's due by the end of this month. This is one spread of many to come, inspired by my grandmother's sweater:

The Original:

And messing around in Photoshop for fun:

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T08:45:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

Get 'Em While They're Hot...

2011-12-06T23:06:00.006-05:00

Still looking for a few holiday gifts? I designed and screen printed notebooks and sketchbooks:

Notebook: $10
Spiral Sketchbook: $15
Package (one of each): $20
Contact me: rach@rachrach.com

Hun'

2011-11-17T14:10:00.003-05:00

One piece in the Black Sheep show that came down at the end of October. Thanks to everyone who came out!

Row

2011-11-15T13:42:00.001-05:00

Experimenting.....

+ Black Sheep Show +

2011-10-15T20:28:00.003-04:00

GROUP SHOW!

Black Sheep at AC Gears: October 17- October 30, 2011
OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday October 20th, 2011 from 6-9pm

AC Gears
69 8th street
New York, NY

Black Sheep Artists
Carolyn Jao
Joseph Perrotto
Yuri Leonov
Rachel Pontious
Jacob Blake
Stavros Pavlides / Dana Snyder
Ricardo Horatio Nelson
Bruce Waldman
Edward Kim
Michael Brodka
Jing Yu
Zebadiah Keneally
Kirsten Flaherty
John Clue

SHOW SOME <3 AND COME!

sneak peek

2011-10-11T01:00:00.001-04:00

post-grad, post-Peru, post-art-hiatus.

2011-10-10T01:06:00.001-04:00

SO MUCH.

The 6-month window sans student loan bills began May 13, and since then, I went on a trip to Peru for some soul-searching/inspiration, and simply just to scratch the itch to travel and explore the world. My senses were flooded with new experiences, my emotional body was altered. Needless to say, it all took some time to digest.

Peru is: color and texture, handstyle bus advertisements, skate parks by the beach, floral skyscrapers, well-designed political graffiti, wild orchids, and mazamorra morada and churros and pisco and ceviche. Peru is old friends excavating dusty old comics and children's books on hands and knees in ancient used-book stores. Peru is drinking coca tea on a roof in Barrio de San Blas while admiring the protective toritos, and salsa dancing until 4am. Peru is four days of hiking, and waking up at 3 am to arrive at one of the wonders of the world by sunrise. And Peru is, hands down, home to the nicest people in the world (well, as much/little as I have seen of it). I was made to feel a sense of home, home with a completely different but equally comforting definition. I forged new friendships and tempered old ones. And I can't wait to go back.

I am finding my way. I am navigating a new sense of independence and responsibility, learning to manage a studio practice of painting, printmaking, and drawing around the hours of a full-time job. I'm slowly (but oh so surely) acquiring the [necessary] discipline, and [necessary] courage, to continue this path. I am discovering that worthwhile friendships present themselves as such while others fade (or sometimes abruptly vanish), and that that is okay. The storms are the test. I am appreciating more and more, each moment of physical contact in an increasingly digital/wireless/technological world. Our mortality is becoming more tangible every day, and priorities fall into place accordingly. I am becoming more... acquainted. To say I have fully gained my sea legs for life would be a brash exaggeration... I am merely taking my first steps onto the boat. I'm here in New York, trying to make it happen. This year is already a tough but interesting one, and we will just have to wait and see where it goes...

SO. MUCH. MORE. TO. COME.

Romance on Brooklyn Sidewalks

2011-10-07T22:12:00.002-04:00

On the ever-wary sidewalks of Brooklyn, a trail of rose petals deflates the cynics.

staring into the abyss.

2011-10-04T23:42:00.002-04:00

Greenpoint Gallery // THIS FRIDAY / and this friday only/

2011-09-15T00:20:00.003-04:00

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Come out and support, three of my paintings will be on display! This salon-style show is at Greenpoint Gallery on Friday September 16, 2011, 8pm-2am

390 McGuinness Blvd
Brooklyn, NY 11222

Hang out with friends, see some nice work, listen to live music, and have a drink. What more could you ask for on a Friday night!?

"Greetings" Exhibition

2011-09-06T18:25:00.001-04:00

My piece in the "Greetings" Show at CultureFix Gallery in NYC

figure drawing....

2011-09-03T13:35:00.002-04:00

I decided to shake the dust off of my sketch pad and go to a figure drawing sesh. i was a little rusty at first, but by the end i was starting to get my groove back. here are some of the later ones….

lettering

2011-09-03T13:31:00.001-04:00

playin’ around with some type… inspired by a lettering guide borrowed from my talented roommate Becca Genne-Bacon

and the sketchbook version:

tumblr

2011-09-03T12:24:00.005-04:00

Hey! I have a Tumblr!

WAX JARS

On view...

2011-08-21T00:14:00.002-04:00

Next Wednesday is the opening of "Greetings," a group show that I am happy to be a part of at CultureFix gallery in NYC. Come out and support if you are in the area. Plus, a great deal of my uber-talented peers from my alma mater are also going to be on the walls; you won't want to miss it.

"Greetings"
Opening: August 24, 2011 (7-9 pm)
On view: August 23, 2011-September 4, 2011

CultureFix
9 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002

---------------------------------

And if you are in the greater Wisconsin area, I have a few paintings from my Nostalgia series on view at Q Gallery in Steven's Point.

Q Gallery
1108 Main Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481

unveiling

2011-05-04T22:12:00.003-04:00

rachrachdotcom has been revamped yet again... with lots of new work!

check her out: www.rachrach.com

ONE NIGHT ONLY

2011-04-08T10:41:00.004-04:00

COME SEE THE WORK OF THE GRADUATING 2011 BFA ILLUSTRATION/CARTOONING MAJORS!

MAY 3 , 2011 6pm-9pm

Outstanding work by outstanding artists, period.

You don't want to miss it.

for people who worship the past...

2011-04-07T15:53:00.002-04:00

here is a much better photo of the pew I designed/built for the "Worship" 3D Design Exhibition:

The Nostalgia Pew
(photo courtesy of Kevin O'Callaghan and Adria Ingegneri)

I FORGOT TO ANNOUNCE

2011-04-03T22:54:00.008-04:00

There is a 3D Design/Graphic Design/Advertising exhibition that I am a part of at the Art Director's Club in New York City, and the show is up until this Saturday. I have three 3D pieces (a chandelier, an umbrella stand/watering can, and a conceptual pew) and I illustrated part of an advertising piece (with friends Ramon Ariel and Denis Kolstov).

Click here for a preview, in the form of a video of the installation...

The pew project was a class assignment: Kevin O'Callaghan bought up a set of pews that a church in Jersey was getting rid of, and gave one to each of us to explore the concept of worship. Mine is about how people worship the past; having a mentality of "times were better when..." or "those were the days..." I removed the bench from the pew, and chopped it up into six pieces, sanded them all the way down and finished them to use them as the stairs.
There are some really amazing pieces in this show... definitely worth a look. AND it is getting some press; NY1 did a piece on it this week:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE NEWS PIECE

I apologize for the poor image quality, these were taken with my phone...

COME CHECK IT OUT!
Art Directors Club
106 West 29th Street
New York, NY

The Queen Bee

2011-02-25T01:12:00.004-05:00

new etching....

2011-02-21T16:19:00.004-05:00

this is an etching that I have been working on in my spare time... it's about 80% done. It's about how we can get caught up, and even strangled by, our own fantasies/worlds... and the difficulty of trying to escape and move away from them. (drypoint and aquatint, the print is 13 in x 19 in on 22 in x 30 in paper)

This is not the best reproduction... since the image is larger than the scanner bed and I had to do a photomerge... but you get the idea.

Hope Competition 2011

2011-02-17T18:44:00.003-05:00

The 2011 SVA Hope Competition was great! The prompt was to make an image that talks about balance, or finding your balance. I did not win, but my friend Anna did! Congratulations to my friend Anna Santaguida for winning this year's Hope Competition sponsored by SVA Student Health and Counseling!

This is my piece:

My statement: "Balance is finding a rhythm and an inner peace; acknowledging the good and the bad, the baggage, responsibility, and turmoil all around, and—not sacrificing—but accepting the moment. When we are most successful, our darkest, heaviest things become feather light. Each person has to make time for themselves and prioritize, so sometimes, this requires letting things float."

Society of Illustrators Student Competition 2011

2011-02-11T17:49:00.006-05:00

My piece "Envy" that I did for Tomer Hanuka's portfolio class got in the Society of Illustrators Student Competition 2011!

Congratulations to everyone who got in, including my friends and peers at SVA:
Young Nam Heller, Jessica Nam, Jonny Ruzzo, Carolyn Jao, Joseph Perrotto, James Bascara, Amanda Lanzone, Billy Norrby, Shigeko Okada, Stavros Pavlides, David Antonio Perezcassar, Jude Killory, Esteban Morales, Min Young Lee, Kyle Scott, Wesley Ryan Clapp, Maelle Doliveux, and John Dombrowski!

drawing on location 2

2011-02-10T16:05:00.003-05:00

Today we went to Grand Central and were instructed to overlap and push things together, instead of drawing the scene as-is. I think I got too caught up with trying to stay in control.. the looser drawings were much more interesting.

drawing on location

2011-01-20T19:35:00.008-05:00

I am sitting in on a drawing class this semester called drawing on location; each week we meet somewhere different, somewhere in New York city, and draw for three hours, focusing on line and the relationship of one thing to the next. I am accustomed to drawing in my sketchbook in public places, but we have to draw on 18 x 24 sheets of paper attached to enormous clipboards... This is my drawing from today, week 1, at Barnes and Noble in Union Square:

A New Year

2011-01-10T10:46:00.004-05:00

2010 was a long, exhausting, but creative year! After barely catching my breath over this rather curt winter break, I'm back to the hustle... back to school, for my last spring semester of my undergraduate career!! It is a little unnerving, and I am both anxious and excited for what the future holds! I am applying for grants and to residencies, ranging from short week-long ones to year-long fellowships, so if anyone has any tips or suggestions, I am open to almost everything (international or domestic residencies, long or short, collaborative or independent... etc). I hope everyone had a relaxing winter break, and is ready for a productive 2011.

Some news:

The beautiful group exhibition I was in, "Emerge to Be Seen," came down on January 3rd after being up for a month. Thank you to everyone who came out, it was a great and successful show, and it was a pleasure exhibiting with that group of artists.

For Creative Quarterly 21, the winter issue coming out this month, I won in the runner-up Student Illustration category for my piece "Antigone in Mourning"... if you scroll down, you can find my name here (this one has the image) and here. My work along with the other runners-up will be featured on their website for this quarter as soon as the printed issue comes out! Exciting!

Florence + the Machine

2010-12-15T18:25:00.003-05:00

This is another faux-Rolling Stone illustration (i.e. Reviews section portrait). Like the Broken Bells piece, the portrait is meant to capture the feel of the album; in this case it's the album "Lungs," and it also references the single "Cosmic Love." If you haven't heard the music, you can check it out here.

The 35th Humana Festival of New American Plays

2010-12-08T21:46:00.003-05:00

This is the poster I designed for the 35th Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Kentucky. I painted an image of two women in acrylic and oil on wood panel, added a layer of encaustic wax, and, on the top layer, silkscreened the image of a typewriter. I am pretty happy with this piece; I was experimenting with a few new techniques on this one so I was worried it would not turn out.

Etching- The Missing

2010-11-23T22:46:00.013-05:00

I am producing an edition of 50 prints of this etching, The Missing, the image is 11'' x 17.5''. It is done in drypoint with six levels of aquatint work, and printed on 250 g/m, 100% cotton, neutral pH, cream-colored paper. Each print is somewhat unique with hand-wiped color (black and blue inks). Each print costs $150 and you can contact me to purchase one at rach@rachrach.com

gallery show.... show some love!

2010-11-23T22:08:00.006-05:00

Mark your calendars!

7 December 2010, 6pm-8pm is the reception for Emerge To Be Seen, a group exhibition I am in that will be on view December 1-December 22 at Westside Gallery, 141 West 21st Street, New York, NY.

And you can view the announcement on the SVA website here

Broken Bells

2010-11-17T19:38:00.003-05:00

This is an illustration for Tomer Hanuka's class (no sketch phase, one week straight to final, due November 17) of the band Broken Bells (a collaboration between Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse and James Mercer of the Shins). The assignment was supposed to be a portrait of a band that gets the overall feel of the album. The album Broken Bells (by Broken Bells) came out earlier this year, and they are working on the next one! If you haven't heard them, you should definitely check them out, and can do so here or here.

Crazy Glue

2010-11-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

This was an assignment for Tomer Hanuka's Senior Portfolio class (1 week sketch, 1 week final, due November 9). This is an illustration for a short story by Etgar Keret entitled "Crazy Glue" about a married couple that stays together despite infidelity and falling out of love. You can read the whole three-and-a-half page story here. (I read a whole collection of his stories over the weekend, The Girl On The Fridge, and they are all really really amazing)

Amnesia

2010-11-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Another assignment for Tomer, an illustration about amnesia (1 week sketch, 1 week final, due October 27). I am not very happy with the final; though not a complete failure, it is not going to end up on my website... I had fun doing the celosia cristatas though!

Sans titre

2010-11-05T14:40:00.001-04:00

we must destroy in order to rebuild. wake up, you might as well.

Artist Book

2010-10-15T11:51:00.007-04:00

Megan Smith in Denver Colorado started an artist book that is being passed throughout the U.S. Each artist that receives the book does one intro page (your name/about you) and five spreads. So far artists include Megan Smith, Trevor Smith, Andres Guzman, Feng Meng Vue, Adrien Moses Clark, and me! Here is my contribution:

Envy.. or something else

2010-10-14T20:21:00.003-04:00

This is another piece I did for Tomer's portfolio class.. the brief was to illustrate one of the seven deadly sins in a conceptual way and to take a surrealist approach (i.e., NOT an illustration with an obese guy eating thousands of hamburgers for gluttony, but to have something like a skinny guy that has teeth/mouths for eyes [Tomer's example]). In the final critique it was deemed an unsuccessful piece for the assignment (as the seven deadly sins have a menacing/repulsive aspect that I didn't address) but that it was a nice image anyway (for something else)

Art Contest for Plan Adviser Magazine

2010-10-13T22:06:00.005-04:00

This is my submission for a half-page spread illustrating the concept/idea/phrase "hot off the presses"

So in the print version of the magazine, it would look something like this:

brief note on the art world....

2010-10-10T21:36:00.003-04:00

Buy art that you LIKE!

If you have ninety minutes, you should watch this documentary about the art-solely-as-commodity pandemic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbQ0GqX0Its

It definitely reenforces my unspoken mission statement to make art that speaks to the human condition, the human experience. As I am to soon graduate, I am forced to think about the directions I will take in regards to art-making; do I pursue just illustration or just fine art or both (or neither?), who do I want my audience to be, where will I work or who will I work for/with, what will I compromise and what will remain constant? Can I conjure the Rauschenberg spirit and stay where art is an alternative language expressing the purpose, the experience, the joys, the difficulties, the confusion of human existence?

Conceptual Portrait

2010-09-30T10:46:00.004-04:00

For Tomer Hanuka's senior portfolio class. Start to finish one week, no sketch phase.

Cillian Murphy is often typecasted in creepy psychological thrillers.

The Missing

2010-09-29T16:42:00.005-04:00

This is a piece I did for Tomer Hanuka's Senior Portfolio class. It's acrylic, encaustic, and oil paint. The colors are a little more saturated in person...

Summertime Blues

2010-09-23T23:31:00.004-04:00

This was a piece I did over the summer, when I was feeling like a piece of shit. I was feeling pretty terrible, pretty often, about a lot of things in my life, and I needed an outlet... I will say that my morale has much improved since.

To my caring friends and family, do not be worried, try to have a sense of humor about it.....

Meet Danae

2010-09-09T17:59:00.004-04:00

She's the newest member of the family. She is the third of three orchids: Agnès, Philomena, and now Danae.

:)

My Hot Date with the City, Part Three: Staten Island

2010-09-09T13:48:00.004-04:00

I unlocked another borough of New York City, one that I had never been to at all before: STATEN ISLAND!

I spontaneously decided to go down to the tip of Manhattan and take the Staten Island Ferry across to, you guessed it, Staten Island. It was a lovely ride with views of Brooklyn (Brooklyn IKEA!!!), the statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governor's Island, New Jersey, and eventually, the postcard view of lower Manhattan that occupies the opening credits of so many films...

I unlocked the most suburban borough, but stayed near the urban, northern-most area. I unlocked grassy walkways with picturesque backdrops. I unlocked jungle gyms reminiscent of my childhood.

I unlocked the Staten Island 9/11 memorial, commemorating those lost in the 9/11 attacks who were from the Staten Island community, which reached nearly 270 people. I unlocked the giant postcards that extend out like wings, filled with love and sorrow to loved ones lost. I unlocked the sad memories of that day, the fear and confusion of a thirteen year old girl, halfway across the country. I reflected on the aftermath, all of it leading up to even today with images of suicide bombings, George W. Bush, tortured prisoners, Abu Ghraib, the statue of Saddam Hussein falling, the insane numbers of troops, the impersonal and objective and substantial death toll numbers, Big Oil and all their cronies, the consequences of relying so heavily on such a coveted substance, the wars, and the combat that members of my own family have seen and are a part of.

I unlocked gratitude and appreciation for those I love that are still around, and whom I should be sending many, many more postcards.

My Hot Date with the City, Part Two: The Bronx

2010-09-03T10:58:00.003-04:00

See my route (22 miles!): http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/ny/new%20york/739128293346193888

So obviously not the best first impression... a little unkempt, clearly has a bruised heart on its outermost sleeve. But once we started to get to know each other, the date went rather charmingly. I unlocked the Bronx, or more specifically, the South Bronx.

I unlocked more bridges... I crossed the Ward's Island Bridge, and the RFK (Robert F. Kennedy Bridge). I experienced Ward's Island and Randall's Island, and passed quaint pastures with roaming horses (we are still in New York City, right???). I biked from one economic stratum to a far, far, other in less than a mile.

I unlocked a generous community of gardeners and altruists, who gave me more fruit than I could carry; I unlocked the Centro Cultural Rincon Criollo, and friendships with the lovely volunteers working there. I unlocked a garden with fresh cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and a smiling, charismatic scarecrow. I ate peaches straight from their accommodating tree branch, juicy pink figs, sweet tiny grapes, and fresh broccoli... It was truly an oasis among the urban landscape.

I sat with chatty roosters and chickens, and watched them eat their delectable lunches. I walked down green corridors strung with vines and lanterns...

Later, with a tranquil mind and satiated tummy, I proceeded to unlock what it is like to go to elementary school in New York City, at P.S. 73. I unlocked long and wide hallways, passing period bells, bulletin boards, and the pocket-size chairs that, at one time, even my tiny little bum sat in.

I unlocked memories from when I was so little, of wanting to be so big, of wanting to be a grown up. And now I am an adult, and I still need to stand on a stool to reach the cupboards. I have one year left of college, and then I need to be a REAL grown-up... so going to this school unlocked some fears and anxieties for the future...

After leaving P.S. 73, I biked around aimlessly for awhile, taking in this outer borough. I unlocked the coordinates of Yankee Stadium, as well as green and bustling parks. I traversed to the Bronx County Courthouse and unlocked messages from other travelers. I unlocked views of loving couples and happy families attending modest court house weddings. I unlocked friendships with amiable guards, and shared my fresh fruit with them.

-----------------------------

Our first date went so well, we decided to get together for a second. Date 2.5 was a trip to the Bronx Zoo via the BxM11 bus... It was great! I unlocked some great moments and unlocked some childhood memories.

a shout out to my home state:

(buffaloes and bison)

Two of my favorite animals, together!

And I walked in on these two waltzing across the floor outside of their habitat. They stopped right in their tracks... guilty! This photo is when they flew to the railing, and then eventually back onto a branch:

and the best photo of the day:

I unlocked the Bronx, the outer borough with a bit of a tainted reputation, but who has some truly incredible things to offer.

Door Decs!

2010-08-29T16:58:00.006-04:00

So I have been a Resident Assistant for three years, and this year I am the Senior Administrative Resident Assistant... These are photos of the door decs I made this year for my residents (all unique, inked/painted collaged by hand):

site update

2010-08-14T21:52:00.002-04:00

rachrach.com has been updated once again... check out the new studies/sketchbook section!

Go figure.

2010-07-30T14:17:00.006-04:00

Love is work. And when you are trying to live off of what you love doing, it takes a LOT of work. The nightmare of "burning-out" PERMANENTLY is always lingering, especially when you can't get motivated enough to even start something. So, I am setting up all of my dreamcatchers, and trying not to TRY, but to DO. DO DO DO.

I went to figure drawing last night at the society, rusty as I was, and here are some of my good, and not so good, results. I have art A.D.D. when I go to most figure drawing sessions... if I am doing poorly with one medium, or I just get bored, or I just want to work in color instead of black and white (and vice versa), I move on. So I bring the whole set up; pens, pencils, inks, brushes, watercolors, water jars, ink jars...... etc. So these are all from last night, despite the fact that they look different. Unfortunately for me, and my rust, it was the last session until September. So I gotta find another spot (let me know if you know of a good one!) Les résultats:

My Hot Date with the City, Part One: Queens

2010-07-28T18:18:00.009-04:00

this is the route I took on my bike today (thanks mapmyride!): http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/ny/new%20york/966128035708737086

I am one of the thousands of people participating in the public art project "Key to the City" by Paul Ramirez Jonas (and company...). If you haven't heard of it (everyone but New Yorkers are excused), here is a brief description: In collaboration with Creative Time and the city of New York, Paul Ramirez Jonas developed an art project titled "Key to the City," which is basically a five-borough scavenger hunt. After participating in an individualized ceremony in Times Square, you receive a key that is both symbolic, and functional, that opens locks, doors, boxes, what have you, all throughout ALL of New York. I have decided to take this opportunity to get to know the city I live, via bicycle. Sure you could take the subway to each spot, redeem your reward, continue on, and be back in an hour or two. But why be a tourist when you can traverse the streets and get lost and see so, so much more of this historic and amazing city.

SO. Part one of my hot date with New York took place in Queens. I rode over the Williamsburg bridge to Metropolitan Avenue, and took it all the way over until I was in Queens. On the way I traveled through industrial areas, urban sprawls, and residential expanses. I went through Brooklyn, Korea and Ohio. I passed century-old cemeteries, and rode on venerable cobble stone streets. I passed by ominous Tudors and ancient elms. I had three planned stops; Eddie's Sweet Shop, Tortilleria Nixtamal, and the Louis Armstrong House Museum; but in between was all up to circumstance.
How well do we know the places we live? Even if we have lived there our entire life, how much more do we know than the streets to get home or our nearest grocery store or starbucks (or grocery store-starbucks)? How often do we venture out, just to try to get lost?

So what did I unlock today?

I unlocked an enduring 1960s soda fountain. I unlocked vegetarian tamales. I unlocked Louis Armstrong's dinner party. I unlocked streets with kids playing in the gushes of fire hydrants. I unlocked quaint gardens and tree-lined boulevards. I unlocked the Queensboro Bridge. I unlocked 23 miles of New York City. I unlocked Queens.

Go unlock some of your city this week.....

figure painting 3/4 and the unfinished 4/4

2010-07-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

both are done with oil paint

eyes, skyward-pressed

2010-07-11T21:22:00.009-04:00

What a surreal two weeks it has been. There is something oddly satisfying about watching dirty shower water swirl down the drain until it is clear...

This is what I did:
Helped build enormous puppets, made hand-lettered signs, learned renaissance music and sang sang sang, danced, paraded through small and big towns, played drums until my arms wanted to fall off, wore crazy costumes, sweat profusely, and re-embraced my obsession with acting; I helped put on elaborate shows with an incredible and talented crew in the name of Bread and Puppet theater. I woke up at 6 am and farmed the food I ate later that day. I fell in love all over again with ducks. I ate the healthiest and most consistent meals of my life. I slept in a tent for two weeks straight, and I got a million bruises, cuts, scratches, and bug bites. I used an outhouse ninety-nine percent of the time ("let me tell you about humanure..."), and I showered twice in fourteen days. I learned how to stilt. I learned how to fall down on stilts. I beatboxed. I participated in a Georgian sing, and in shape note singing (hooray I can still read music!). I played the banjo, I played the accordion, and I played the spoons. I subscribed to bare feet. I watched pink and purple and blue and gold sunsets on rolling green horizons. I was serenaded with songs from Denmark, and lulled by sweet Norwegian words. I made friends and I stood with my eyes skyward-pressed in a forest of 10,000 foot pines.

I did acrobatics. I supported someone while they supported me, and with combined strength and focus, we did amazing things. Together we did amazing things. Together. As someone that is somewhat reclusive, okay maybe very reclusive, I am used to working solo. I am used to answering to myself and focusing on my, usually jam-packed, agenda. But by the time I was crossing the Massachusetts state border into Vermont, I was ready for a team huddle. I was not capable of shouldering any more melancholy, any more self-disappointments, any more criticisms or failures, alone. I was tired. But I made the team. I joined a rather motley crowd that very quickly molded itself into a type of family. I was reintroduced to support systems. And reminded of life support systems. Diversity and generous hearts came together and shared themselves and their numerous talents, and produced a truly unique artistic vibe. ...sometimes you need to get far, far, away to find something that helps you breathe.

Writing this is like trying to write a letter to someone you deeply love. You know what heartfelt, passionate words should fill the ominous, blank white space, but it isn't as easy getting all of the true, intimate details down in the most telling and eloquent and honest way. A lot of my experience I am not sure I can even express in combinations of letters. All I know is that I left unready to leave.

Bread and Puppet

2010-06-27T09:27:00.006-04:00

Going off to an apprenticeship with Bread and Puppet Theater in Vermont! If you are in the area (Glover, VT), come see a FREE and ABSOLUTELY AMAZING show every Friday and Sunday. Go to the website for more details. I hope you are having a wonderful summer!

figure painting 2/4

2010-06-21T18:01:00.002-04:00

oil painting

bags for sale

2010-06-11T21:17:00.003-04:00

i designed and screenprinted bags, and i am selling them for $12 each
if you would like to purchase one, email me at rach@rachrach.com

Figure Painting 1/4

2010-06-10T01:06:00.002-04:00

i apologize... my camera is truly a piece of crap. this will have to do for now....

website revamp

2010-05-13T13:13:00.002-04:00

check it, and my thesis pieces are up!

www.rachrach.com

t.s.eliot inspired series

2010-05-05T14:28:00.006-04:00

phone home

2010-05-05T14:27:00.002-04:00

show some love- SOI Reception

2010-05-05T00:30:00.003-04:00

If you are in the NYC area, come out to see my piece at the Society of Illustrators Student Competition Reception!

THIS FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010
6pm to 9pm
Society of Illustrators
128 E 63RD ST (between lexington and park)
Manhattan

This has been an exciting spring semester, and I, along with many of my peers, have been working extremely hard. But if my work isn't reason enough, a stunning piece by my dear friend Young Nam Heller is in the show as well. It should be an inspiring and exciting evening! I hope to see some of you at the show!!!

the show will be up until May 29
http://www.societyillustrators.org/

Prints For Sale!

2010-04-28T20:26:00.005-04:00

A few more silkscreens I did this semester:

"The Disappearing Woman" Edition of 9

"Cry Baby" Edition of 15

"Doo Wop, That Thing" Edition of 13

contact rach@rachrach.com for pricing!

Thesis Pieces

2010-04-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

“Polynices and Eteocles: A Cold Embrace” 2010, acrylic, 30'' x 40''

“Antigone in Mourning” 2010, acrylic, ink, 30'' x 40''

“The Doom Reserved For Enemies Marches on the Ones We Love The Most” 2010, acrylic, 30'' x 40''

“Death Will Be A Glory” 2010, acrylic, 30'' x 40''

"Creon Capsized" 2010, acrylic, ink, 30'' x 40''

....eh eh ehmm....

2010-04-08T01:07:00.004-04:00

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FSU&*OU:KJCVH:KADJNB:"IUA"OFIUYLERY"?
ttkjhdg&&&APD;FIGUYIWRYP^!^&%#(&^
5O&^EO*&!^EOUYGFKJHVKHJDGCVKAJHS
GDLUQYTWEIOU:KLJHPIU^O*^&R%U^RTK
UHJFGLJKHGFVJHRIYRIY%Y%RIY%IYTFKUY
GF#@R#@!@TRGEDFFKJYUTOUYKRDJRDFG
XCMBNNNBGKUTKUTDMHGFCMHGRKMTE
KMYKMYFHCJGCFMHRTMHGFHJGV.

ehm.

Come out, come out, wherever you are..... Exhibition Time!!!

2010-03-31T00:45:00.006-04:00

The School of Visual Arts BFA Illustration/Cartooning Thesis exhibition is finally here! This show exhibits a year-long project based on the theme "Classical Myths Transformed".

This theme-based exhibition of selected works inspired by Greek mythology and created by the Third Year students in Cartooning and Illustration will be exhibited on:

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

6:00-8:00pm

Visual Arts Gallery

601 W 26th Street, Suite 1502 (15th Floor)

New York, NY

Needless to say, this show is going to be dope. Please come out and support!

Partial list of exhibitors:

Adrien Dacquel

Becca Genne-Bacon

Charlotte Taylor

James Bascara

Lisa Fiore

Rachel Pontious

Stephanie Rodriguez

Tina Lugo

Young Nam Heller (artwork above)

Society of Illustrators!

2010-03-11T13:48:00.006-05:00

One of my thesis pieces that I have been working on got into the Society of Illustrators...
AND received the $2000 Nancy Lee Rhodes Roberts scholarship!!!

This is amazing... I'm really happy. It's nice to get some validation sometimes, to know that you're going in the right direction, and that hard work pays. THANK YOU SOI!!!!! and congratulations to all of the other winners, I can't wait to meet you all in May!

To see my piece on the website, click here

To see the other winning pieces, click here

how about THEM cupcakes

2010-03-07T13:18:00.003-05:00

how i de-stress:

all from scratch... red velvet cupcakes and banana cupcakes

Happy Valentines Day...

2010-02-05T14:12:00.002-05:00

another silkscreen (looks even better in person though....)

SILKSCREENING! WOO!

2010-02-05T14:10:00.003-05:00

reappropriation of places and things

2009-12-28T03:59:00.004-05:00

don't you hate it when something like: you knew someone growing up who treated you like crap, so whenever you meet someone with their same name you cringe a little? or you have a bad memory for some place, a place that might actually be a wonderful place if you could just forget its baggage (that you attached to it). or how you might still want to enjoy that ice cream flavor you were obsessed with when dating so-and-so, but since they're gone, it tastes a little bitter. maybe the root issue of all these things is that it would be nice to take them all back and make them your own again. unshare them so that they can't be tainted and they are still romantic and beautiful and charming and yours alone. like crawling under the tent sheet, after pretending to be asleep and fighting sleepy eyes to stay awake, waiting for everyone else to retire... flashlight illuminating the last pages of a book, just so you could be immersed in your own world for five more minutes, sans interruption. taking back what you feel is yours. but the damage is done! 'when you love something give it away'... and then what do you have.
i love strings of lights. no matter where or when i see them i love them. even when my butt is frozen and i am feigning warmth and comfort when i might have frost bite on my right hand. the lights can make anything look pretty; even the ugliest of trees can be made into a spectacle, and even the worst of companies/buildings can look wholesome. sometimes it's nice to just pretend like everything is okay even when it isn't. i want to put a string of lights around my life, make it look peaceful at least for a little while.
thank god for spontaneity and friends willing to give in to your ridiculous impulses at 11pm.

halliburton?

2009-12-22T12:05:00.002-05:00

this is another assignment for illustrative painting workshop: take a film still, and incorporate it into a picture that changes the context of the original film. You must use all or part of an actual image from the film as photographic reference in the piece.
I've been on a brief Nosferatu kick lately, you may have noticed. It was fun to do, and i enjoyed playing around with the colors.

make something good, evil:

2009-12-22T12:02:00.001-05:00

illo workshop piece

Movie Poster

2009-12-14T21:47:00.001-05:00

(For International Cinema Course)

everyone's got a thanksgiving post....

2009-11-26T00:59:00.004-05:00

bruises and scrapes from tripping in the library, holes in the heels of my socks, only stale popcorn left to snack on, empty soymilk cartons, one quarter short for the final load of laundry, overdrawing my checking account by $1.51, incessant acid reflux, and eleven dollars in library fines (and subsequently a block on my account so i have to pay before i get a chance to repeat previous offenses). one week to do two 10-page research papers, plus other homework, and of course, artwork. so why am i writing right now.... welllll i guess i just needed to take a big fuckin breath. like everyone, i needed to just stop and take a moment this week from all of the stress and chaos that may cause me to lose my head over something as trivial as the dryer's regurgitation of an odd number of my socks.. a break to think about what to be thankful for. it's easy to think about what we are NOT thankful for... every day i get a chance to cycle through my mistakes, grudges, fears, frustrations, shortcomings... I have my doubts. I have worries; but I am fearless. I can be self-deprecating, but with the help of inner strength and friends that will bring me back up, I can overcome.

i am thankful for friends that take in their "homeless/stray/orphan" friends on thanksgiving so they aren't at home eating frosted wheats...dry. i am thankful for examples of good parenting and loving relationships. for honesty, as it is always constructive in the end, though it may not seem like it at first. for moms. sweet potato casserole. sharing. leftovers. tight hugs. music. time. time time time. time til, time for, time left.

i hope someone makes you smile this week.

"oedipus rex"

2009-10-14T18:25:00.003-04:00

play poster (20in x 30in) acrylic

"trauma"

2009-10-14T18:04:00.003-04:00

"shit" ...a self-portrait

2009-10-14T17:55:00.003-04:00

if i knew how i wanted to proceed

2009-10-04T20:46:00.005-04:00

"most people's lives-what are they but trails of debris, each day more debris, more debris, long, long trails of debris with nothing to clean it all up but, finally, death." Tennessee Williams

and some of the time i feel like i am trapped in a mound of garbage. like a dress of refuse with a boa constrictor necklace.

so, 'how do you wish to proceed?'

i live in a city that needs a muffler. with people that see so many people that you are not a person. i wish i could wear a gas mask while riding my bike, walking, and even sleeping for that matter, but i don't want to alarm anyone. so i inhale unconsciously, and without sentinel, but i fear the murky air mixture combined with my already tenebrous innards will produce a toxic concoction. but i can't hold my breath!!!! 'how do you wish to proceed?'
i compile my debris like it is a collection. pin up all of my mistakes, all of the many terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad choices like moths and butterflies in a case, and you will have my history. needing to learn by making mistakes, was a terrible mistake.

I need to paint a sunset for part of an assignment like i care about it. even if i don't. and i don't. how to proceed....

quickie:

more stuff

2009-09-10T18:56:00.006-04:00

and a tour schedule poster design i did for the band eleanor:

stuff

2009-09-07T01:47:00.005-04:00

so much for the updates.. my wallet got stolen and my phone broke in the same day.. subsequently there was credit/debit card drama... and more.

anywho. stuff i've been doing:

(support my dear friends and their band eleanor! upcoming shows in washington, oregon, and denver!)

my reflection in hands, cupped

2009-08-31T23:56:00.004-04:00

every word of ingrid michaelson's song "are we there yet?" gives me heart pangs. whew.

updates coming soon...

illustration about dina vierny, the muse of artist maillol

2009-08-28T21:17:00.006-04:00

the obituary: www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/arts/design/27vierny.html

this is an illustration assignment from earlier this summer. i am not loving this piece, but i consider it done for now. any useful commentary/criticism would be welcomed and appreciated!

because never again will i have such an amazing view of nyc...

2009-08-28T21:04:00.003-04:00

and because my mum wants to see it... i am sharing my view from my bedroom at sva

I hope to one day be able to sit in an arm chair in a large backyard

2009-07-19T21:25:00.004-04:00

Yoga is amazing. It truly generates the feeling of purification..

And I have never sweat so much in my life. Every time I moved, the sweat would come off in waves on to the mat... and my eyebrows weren't do their job because the salt water streaming from my forehead kept getting into my eyes.

I heard two interesting quotes today:

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." -Helen Keller

“If people insist on living as if there’s no tomorrow, there really won’t be one." - Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, first of all, is great. I think I should read him more often. Second of all, I am aware of the (and my) overuse of the door metaphor when it comes to opportunity, yet something about Helen Keller's quote about lingering struck me, because, being the neurotic young woman I am, I linger on the past way too much. Stupid decisions I have made or dumb things I said or people I didn't treat very well... etc. SO. Learning to plan ahead and be thoughtful and think about tomorrow is important... it's important not to linger too much, not to sit in front of that door too long, with chin in palms and elbows on knees, waiting, waiting for it to open again. And instead, pursue thoughtful action.

Look forward.

insomnicholy

2009-06-09T03:09:00.004-04:00

latest nights and rainstorms, she stared up at her ceiling, body half bathed in her deformed comforter. she listened to damien rice to drown out a distant alarm, and to hush some of the thunder; the remaining sounds adding another element to the baseline. she released all thoughts to an emptiness, sleeping with eyes open, simply watching the asymmetrical pattern of flashing lights on the ceiling.
sleep. don't weep, my sweet. sleep.

weighted

2009-05-20T01:55:00.000-04:00

(a piece from last semester's painting class)

encounters.

2009-05-06T04:46:00.003-04:00

she was in a less than perfect, better than foul mood... but sourer than neutral. she was walking to the subway, less enthused than she should be to get drunk with friends after thirteen hours of work. it's not a typical extra-curricular, but after sixty-five hours of work in five days... who would refuse? she wanted to take her time, though, be alone for the commute... time to collect her thoughts, and have some "alone time." it was really just time to listen to some Common... wind down while at the same time get hyped. the fifteen minute walk from work to the subway was enough to loosen up the immediate tensions in her back and neck. a little John-Legend-wooing never hurt.
she walked down the damp subway steps, careful to shut her umbrella at just the right moment. each movement in sync with the 4/4 beat... pulling out the subway card, swiping, and pushing through the turnstile. The monitor said twenty-three minutes until the arrival of the next train... meaning she just missed the last one by a few minutes. but again... it was no real consequence to her.
she stood directly on top of the yellow line separating where to and not to stand at the arrival of the train. she liked the harsh thrust of wind that accompanied the rusty and boisterous train's entrance; it made her heart skip.. so she leaned against the nearby pillar without moving her feet.
a man, maybe in his late twenties, was standing at the epicenter of two pillars, one being hers, even before she arrived. the poor bloke who missed the train by milliseconds, and maybe who even felt the urge to shout at the sadistic train conductor because of it. but maybe not. he looks shy.
she looked at him, interested enough, but soon followed the new york city subway rules and returned back to the dead stare at her own feet. however.. a slight sadness in his eye drew a second glance. she looked at him, who was staring straight ahead blankly. something about the symmetry between her music selection and his state made her draw closer to him.
not knowing the first thing to say, she handed him her right ear bud.
he looked at her for a second... the ear bud, then to her face, then back to the ear bud. she almost started to scrutinize her decision-making, until he took it. he closed his wet eyelids tight, and they stood side by side without another word until the train arrived.
music blaring and tornado-strong winds blowing their tired hairdos, it turned into the eye of the storm, only a brief moment of peace.
he said thank you and handed it back... she got on, and he stayed.

updates

2009-05-03T21:49:00.001-04:00

updated the books section of my website... check it out: rachrach.com

darjeeling limited illustration

2009-04-30T18:06:00.003-04:00

cat power illustration

2009-04-30T18:05:00.002-04:00

RE: sigh

2009-04-21T12:39:00.004-04:00

everything is made of paper

2009-04-18T17:07:00.002-04:00

i'm feeling heavy today. and it is so beautiful outside, that it makes me feel worse that i am feeling down on such a warm sunny day. i rode my bike, all the way to the tip of manhattan and back up and around, seeing many completely different cities within one. i'm feeling so antsy. i'm not where i need to end up yet.

in constant mourning

2009-04-18T14:20:00.000-04:00

steve jobs

2009-04-18T14:15:00.001-04:00

conceptual portrait of steve jobs

iraq

2009-04-18T14:14:00.001-04:00

we're not looking in the same direction

attempts in fashion illustration

2009-04-18T14:10:00.003-04:00

i think it is just as important to see my failures....

sleepy thoughts

2009-03-31T01:37:00.006-04:00

Something about new toothbrushes. They just make my final evening ritual so much more enjoyable... and cleeeeaaann feeling. Or the feeling of new contacts. Like the world is so much bigger or something. Or new t-shirts being so much softer than the others... comfier sweatshirts, sweeter juice, better shampoo, cushiony sneakers.
I want a new teapot. Well, I guess just a teapot, since I have never had one.
I know it doesn't make the tea taste any different than when I heat the water in a pot on the stove... I know it is totally frivolous and unnecessary.. but still. Something about a bright colored ceramic with geometric patterns pouring warm sweet liquid into my morning cup makes me smile big.

Is needing a teapot a good enough excuse to travel to India? I want to go.

I want to step out of bed onto footprints not of routine but of sureness, steadiness, certainty. I want to get better at getting out of bed period. I need to need less. I want to want less.