'Fear & Fortitude: A Journey in Geometric Abstraction'

“Fear & Fortitude” is a collection of paintings about determination and overcoming fear. Even when feeling overwhelmed and intimidated, the fluctuating desire to connect with others persists and is represented by the varying degrees of contrast in the paintings.

About the Artist:

Rachel Espenlaub developed her unique style of triangle-based geometric abstraction after years of realism painting. The inception of this style began with an etching of a pointed roof and window that was ridiculed during a printmaking course in college. Unable to erase her work, she carved a design on the remainder of the plate that mimicked the triangular shapes already present.

She started experimenting with color relationships and patterns within these compositions. She has grown confident in her ability to convey ideas in paintings like never before.

Whereas realism sometimes felt tedious and predictable, hard-edge abstraction became an exciting way to shed the burden of art needing to be technically impressive to be “good.” Simple sections of solid color free Rachel to focus on her ideas through design and composition.

Rachel’s paintings are acrylic on canvas or paper, using tape and fine brushes to achieve precise edges. She is focused on exploring the themes of courage, perseverance, and identity.

Rachel earned a B.F.A. in Painting from Tyler School of Art at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) in 2015, including a year and half study abroad in Rome, Italy. She is currently based in Colorado Springs, CO.