Greetings from Alaska !!

Rachelle's Artist Profile:

Name= Rachelle Pavlova Lawendowski ("elle" for short ;-)

Style= I use a multi genre, mixed media, approach using a combination of pigment sources that I feel suit the subject and theme (i.e. any combination of watercolor, acrylics, liquid acrylics, watercolor pencil, illustrator's inks, gouache, oil pastels and even sometimes the juice from blueberries). I most often use museum quality watercolour paper....sometimes stretched canvas or wooden board.

It is my goal to capture a deeply personal "expression" within each portrait, capturing a special moment in time that makes the artwork seem to come alive.

My original portraits are now being enjoyed internationally by individuals as well as commercial establishments. It is the greatest honor when my art buyers return to me throughout the years for additional works of art. I enjoy building relationships with my buyers and when they return it is the greatest of compliments to me. I appreciate each of my buyers and I never take their business for granted.

On a more personal note....

I have a great deal of respect for nature as I view it to be the ultimate work of "fine art". Personally, I have been influenced by the writings of great thinkers such as Francis Schaeffer and C.S. Lewis (amongst others) and have been very fortunate to have had the friendship of great teachers of "life" such as Andrew Garbart and Libor Brom. To quote Sir Isaac Newton: "If I have seen farther than others it is only because I have stood on the shoulders of giants".

I currently reside in the beautiful Matanuska Valley (Palmer/Wasilla area) which is approximately 45 minutes outside of Anchorage. Being near the sea makes the climate much milder here as compared to the interior of Alaska (stays warmer during the winter compared to Fairbanks for example) and the summers generally average 65 to 70 degrees. During the summer I enjoy close to 24 hours of sunlight each day which is fabulous for gardening! Here in the Matanuska Valley there are record holders for the size of cabbage and other vegetables etc... It's truly a beautiful place to live, with remarkably friendly people. I have enjoyed living here very much but, as we all know, sometimes life suggests some changes and I plan to move during the summer of 2010.

As a side note, I am also a published writer and hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D) specializing in nutrition. I now enjoy working from home for the sake of my 2 children and am blessed with a "semi-spacious" in-home art studio (my degrees have long become wall art :-)

A great painting is like a song, a slice of the "music of the spheres" brought down to earth, it is my honor and blessing to try and capture a bit of this song and share it with others via my artwork.

I always welcome contact via email for commissioned works. For contact information please visit my contact page. I also enjoy fine art photography and hope to soon have a new website showcasing some of my photographic works.

Thank you for visiting my small online gallery ! With Kindest Regards, Rachelle Pavlova Lawendowski (aka "elle" )

***"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun."~ Pablo Picasso.