Seeing Inside

"Dried Hydrangeas"
(c) Carole Rabe

It's always exciting to discover the work of a very accomplished artist whose approach to painting is the same as, or similar to, your own. It helps me see all that can be possible! I recently came across several paintings by Carole Rabe. The paintings immediately struck a chord with me, and I embarked on more research regarding Rabe's work. Lo and behold, I learned that Rabe studied with Robert d'Arista. D'Arista was also a mentor to a couple of my other favorite painters, Maggie Siner and Frank Hobbs. 'Tis a strong bloodline that holds together this group of perceptual painters!

"Dining Chair Lineup"
(c) Carole Rabe

I read an in-depth interview with Rabe, which confirmed many things that I had surmised simply from looking at her paintings. First, she paints only from direct observation of her subject, never from photos. As she says. only SEEING with her own eyes gives her the

information she needs to make a painting. Photos simply don't provide enough information. Is it just me, or can't you tell from her paintings that she is painting from life rather than from photos? Her sensitivity to the color of light is amazing.

"Yellow Dishtowel"
(c) Carole Rabe

Also, Rabe uses a limited palette. She typically uses only three colors, plus white, for any given painting. Interestingly, she does not use the same three colors for every painting. But her choices are consistent: some variation of a red, a yellow and a blue. (She gives details on her palette in this interview). I use a somewhat limited palette, but Rabe has inspired me to pare down even more. Already I have seen that it heightens my attention to color mixing, and makes me aware of very subtle shifts in color.

(c) Carole Rabe

Finally, Rabe paints scenes with which she is intimately familiar. Many of her paintings (in fact, almost all of them that I have found) are paintings of the interior of her home. Even though these paintings don't include figures, they speak very strongly of a human presence. I have been studying these works carefully, hoping to learn from them. It's inspiring to see what many years of honing your perceptual skills can yield. As perceptual painters know, there is no secret formula. It's all in the hard work of learning to see. And it's clear that Carole Rabe's hard work has paid off. I wish I could see half so well. Brava!