Search Results: abstract

I still remember the first painting I bought for myself. I was in my early 20s, standing in a small gallery, going back and forth on whether I should do it. It felt like a big deal, because it was. I was excited, but also nervous about spending the money. I didn't fully understand yet what it meant to live with a piece of original art, only that I wanted my apartment to feel more like mine, more considered, more complete.

A reflection on meeting Theophilus Brown after being selected for the Art Space 712 portrait exhibition in San Francisco.

Daily Nutmeg writer Kathy Leonard Czepiel reviews Shilo Ratner's 2020 solo exhibition at DaSilva Gallery, exploring how her geometric abstract paintings use color, shape, and repetition to create calm, meditative visions in chaotic times.

Held in geometry. A mountain coast at the edge of day. There is a particular kind of light that seems to slow everything down. It happens late in the afternoon, when the sun begins to drop and the landscape changes. Mountains turn ochre and sienna. Water becomes a darker, quieter blue. The edges of the landscape begin to soften, even as the forms themselves become more defined. That feeling was at the center of Golden Coast, a new 40 × 40 original painting and one of the most layered works I have created in this series.

A reflection on the Georgia O'Keeffe traveling exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and what her wit, obsession, and lifelong drive to create continue to mean to my practice as a painter.

Traces of Stillness is a contemplative 6×6 inch collage series by Shilo Ratner exploring quiet mountain landscapes through minimal form, layered paper, and subtle geometry. Original works on paper available now.

Art is connection. Discover the creative philosophy behind minimalist landscape paintings that transform nature's impressions into expansive, meditative works designed to bring quiet sophistication and grounding to your space.

Shilo Ratner reflects on the opening reception for the 2012 National Juried Exhibition at First Street Gallery in New York, juried by Dore Ashton — a celebration of contemporary fine art and creative community.

What made this exhibition particularly meaningful was the caliber of its juror: Marcela Guerrero, Assistant Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Guerrero's curatorial practice centers on expanding the canon of American art, with a focus on underrepresented artists and the expressive power of color and abstraction.

Most conversations about art end at the point of purchase. But what happens after a painting comes home? That's where the real story begins, and where the value of original art truly reveals itself.

A personal reflection on visiting the Sanctuary of Dom Bosco in Brasília—and what it means to stand inside a space defined entirely by blue.

Shilo Ratner visits the New York City studio of legendary figurative sculptor Bruno Lucchesi on June 28, 2012 — an intimate look at the master's unassuming workspace, his striking subway series, and the signed copy of Terracotta she brought home.

In August 2015, Shilo Ratner participated in the nationally juried Annual Contemporary Art Survey at The Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, CO, with guest juror Dean Sobel, Executive Director of the Clyfford Still Museum.

New Haven artist Shilo Ratner reflects on how motherhood reshaped her studio practice from late-night painting to 5:30am starts—and how that shift shapes her geometric abstract work.

Lately I have been thinking about what makes an art classroom genuinely open to every kind of mind. A personal reflection on structure, choice, sensory access, and the confidence to make the first mark.

Early decisions act as constraints, but not in a restrictive way. They create direction. A horizon line placed slightly higher or lower shifts the entire spatial experience. A compressed shape changes how the surrounding space breathes. A color introduced too early can either anchor the work or flatten it. These choices don't just sit on the surface. They organize everything that follows. The painting begins to build from that first condition.