Rebecca Chewning
“My paintings are imagined spaces - small, immersive worlds shaped by memory, emotion, and the passage of time. Each piece begins as a kind of excavation, inspired by my upbringing in West Virginia and a deep fascination with worn surfaces, peeling paint, and forgotten places. I’m drawn to what lingers after something is gone: the trace, the residue, the quiet suggestion of what once was.
Working with oil and house paints, I build up layers slowly, allowing each mark to guide the next. Some surfaces are thick and textured, while others remain soft and understated. Together, they become a visual record of both accumulation and erosion, capturing moments of calm, tension, and uncertainty.
I think of each canvas as a pinhole view into a larger world. It is self-contained but rich with atmosphere. These are places you can get lost in, surrounded by color, rhythm, and a quiet sense of drama.
More than anything, I hope my paintings offer a moment of pause, an opening for viewers to step inside, reflect, and wander.”