36 Artists Magazine December 2019
THE ARTIST’S PROCESS
Because of the ever-changing light, Rabe works in roughly
one- to two-hour stretches of time—and on various paint-
ing series throughout the day. “Light determines time,” she
says. “On a cloudy day, I can paint longer, as long as two
hours. For the most part, though, I spend about an hour
a day on a piece. I have a series of paintings going all the
time. I have early morning, mid-morning and evening
paintings [done at night thanks to electricity], but mostly
I work with natural light.
“One of the things I like to do when I’m painting is think
about what’s alike,” she says. “The eye is quick to see what’s
different; we see differences quite easily. But it’s another“I used to think, ‘OK, I’m going to just be as direct as I possibly can, and I’m just
going to put down what’s in front of me.’ In theory, I think that’s what I do. But in
reality, I’m editing and making decisions about what not to say all the time.”
—CAROLE RABE
thing to observe what’s alike. Is it
possible, for example, that the yellow
wall is exactly the same color as the
plant on the other side of the room?
Yes! I try to make those kinds of
observations when I’m working.
When I put color down, I think of
what I’m painting as what I hang my
paint on. I try to find what’s alike—
and the relationships between color
and value. That’s what makes working
from observation so exciting.” Early Fall Afternoon
oil on canvas, 18x24