Rita Spalding b. 1964, Indiana

My approach to painting is fairly traditional, but it’s not purely representational. I combine very realistic elements with an abstracted, softened view of reality. While sometimes dramatic, I generally strive for a peaceful, calming beauty in my work. I’m drawn to the chiaroscuro look of the old masters, but I use objects and combinations of objects with a more modern sensibility. I’m attracted to natural subject matter, and I enjoy combining it with stoneware or metal pieces. Most of my still lifes include either fruits or flowers, although I’m also drawn to fragile things, such as feathers, shells, and bird’s eggs. Most of my work is painted from life in the studio over a period of weeks; however, I also paint en plein air landscapes, and alla prima still lifes. My love, though, is creating quiet, poetic paintings with deep, rich colors, compelling subject matter, and concise, elegant compositions.