Rachel Milne

My work is based on careful observation from life with a strong emphasis on structure, tone and colour. I’m trying to find the fine balance between accurate structural representation and the beauty and fluidity of the oil paint itself. When painting, I am aiming for visual poetry, if this makes sense – to pare back a subject to the aspects that interest me the most. I am drawn to interiors, especially of municipal or community buildings. There is something about honouring spaces that may lack grandeur but have intrinsic power in their purpose, which I feel makes them deserving of considered representation.

‘Finding Light in Dark Spaces’ was about painting through a difficult year on a personal level but also the work done at Maitland Gaol. Built in the 1800s and only closed in the 1990s, the site was an incredible place to work. The huge original blocks with their massive windows, thick walls and long lines of bars and grids were a fantastic challenge. I also felt like the buildings had a sense of solidity, visual beauty and a history of humanity deserving of recognition and representation.

As is my way, the paintings are a mix of interiors: the incredible Drawing Room at Hunter Street Art School, a friends parents’ home, walls covered with the work of local artists, such a beautiful curated space. Fred the dog features, and a new addition – Reginald the cat. There is a story or reason behind each image, and each painting was completed as a result of a sense of kinship or connection with the subject matter.

-Rachel Milne, 2024