Mariangela Rinadi

Artist Statement

In my figurative work, I aim to capture the nuances of the human form using as few marks as possible. I work primarily from a live model, where timed poses require restraint.

I select a single paper for each pose from the many which I've prepared with a loose and gestural acrylic wash - choosing one that I deem suits the model’s gesture. I work in soft pastels, allowing the figure to emerge from the semi-transparent ground.

I also work in soft pastels on solid-colored textured paper. My goal in these instances is to use the color of the paper as the mid-town of the figure. With that in mind, I select two or three pastels which I use to suggest only the darkest darks and lightest lights on the figure.

During longer poses, or when working from a reference photo, I paint in acrylic on canvas, developing greater detail within the figure. Here I lean into palette and tonality to invite interpretation of his or her internal state.