Featured Artist: Rachel Teannalach
Rachel Teannalach is a contemporary landscape painter based in Boise, Idaho. Her work is characterized by bold, gestural brushstrokes and her ability to evoke the emotional quality of the places she paints.
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Teannalach’s work is guided by the belief that the observation of nature revives our recognition of beauty and restores our sense of belonging in the natural world. Her work inspires viewers to leave, in W.B. Yeats’ words, “a little space for the rose-breath to fill.” Her focus over the last several years has been collaborations with conservation organizations, supporting their efforts to preserve the lands she loves to paint. Teannalach is committed to environmental responsibility. A portion of her proceeds is donated to Plastic Bank, and she uses repurposed substrates and recycled, compostable packaging whenever possible. Teannalach is known especially for her “tinyExpanse” daily paintings, which can be purchased on Etsy, along with small works and prints. Her work also encompasses large scale landscapes and occasional cityscapes and portraiture. Gallery Representation: Capitol Contemporary Gallery – Boise, IdahoEcho Arts – Bozeman, Montana
INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST
We had the opportunity to ask a few questions to learn more about Rachel’s Career as ab artist.
Where did it all start? When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I have a drawing I did as a kindergartener in my studio that is accompanied by the text “When I grow up I want to be an artist.” My mom said I was born with a pencil in my hand. I guess I never stopped drawing!
What inspired this recent body of work?
While painting in my studio in 2020, I listened to Richard Powers’ book, The Overstory. With the backdrop of the pandemic, this book sparked in me a respect for trees I had never had before, and the idea for this project was born. I visited this apple tree in the Idaho Botanical Gardens every Tuesday from the Winter Solstice in December of 2020 through the same date in 2021. With so much chaos and uncertainty happening in the human world, I took solace in visiting this tree that weathered every day with patience and poise.
How have our Idaho communities inspired you as an artist?
Moving to Boise from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2008, I was struck by the cooperative, supportive nature of the art community here. Art collectors are eager to support local artists, and local artists are eager to support each other. This, coupled with the obviously stunning landscapes in every direction proved a fertile ground in the early stages of my career. Now as a mid career artist, I continue to feel the support from our community of collectors and artists grow. I have also been closely allied with several of the wonderful conservation groups in our area. The conservation community has helped me reach a broader audience while connecting my work to a cause beyond my own creative development.
What kind of challenges and opportunities have you experienced in recent months?
Like many people I’ve talked to, I’ve experienced the doldrums that has accompanied this current stage of the pandemic, as well as the troubling state of politics, human cooperation, and the environment. At times when art seems superfluous, I find that simply continuing to go to my studio each day is the perfect antidote.
What’s next?
I’m excited to be working with the KIN folks in an exhibition this March. I’ve had the pleasure of exhibiting at State & Lemp several times over the years, and am super excited to enter their creative sphere again in this new space. As for the next project along the lines of Ground and Tree….I like to let those ideas arise organically in a time of fresh energy. So not sure yet, but I definitely enjoy the structure of a project that builds throughout the year and requires a regular pilgrimage to something in nature.
A special thank you to
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Boise, ID 83702
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