Lena Rainy

My favorite medium is oil paint. Combined with the roughish, imperfect texture of linen canvas, it is remarkably durable despite its natural origins. Oil paints are thick and feel solid and reliable as you apply them to the support. I love the way they smell as their scent seems golden and warm to me.

As an artist, I take delight in the painting’s ability to capture the feeling of life and motion. To seize a fleeting moment, whether it is a sudden downpour of rain, a patch of fog caught in the wind and destined to perish within minutes, the rustle of grass, or a spiderweb briefly illuminated by the sun’s rays.

I trust nature and allow myself to be guided by it. And it feels as though nature, in turn, lets me in.

Lena Rainy

Born in the North, I have always felt a deep connection to nature. Captivated by its cold, unconventional beauty, I am awed by the seemingly boundless expanses of the tundra, with its primal, wild, and even somewhat dangerous sense of freedom that one gets to feel while roaming treeless landscapes.

I am passionate about outdoor sports and tourism and have traveled extensively. My experiences have taught me how to exist with nature rather than parallel to it. I am fascinated by all sorts of weather phenomena, even if some may consider them discomforting: the damp and chilly, yet life-giving rain; the cold, abundant snow that covers the ground like a down blanket; or the wind that does not hesitate to tear through slow-moving cottony clouds.

In my art, I observe, emphasize, and occasionally exaggerate, but never embellish the beauty of what many believe is annoying, lackluster, or even unwanted. As the line goes in a Leonard Cohen song, “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” And this is probably the best way to describe the beauty that lies in imperfection.

It is all about spreading love and hope. Sunny, warm weather is often associated with happiness and joy, but it is on tough, rainy days that people need comfort and support the most. After all, we still care for our family and friends despite the imperfections or “inconveniences” they might have.

instagram.com/elen_rainy