Rachel Leising Soo

Soo is a professor of graphic design in the Art Department at Concordia University, Irvine, California.

Artist Statement:
The paintings were produced by examining memories, perceptions and personal relationships. This examination was a visceral and instinctive experience shaped by recent travels and significant life altering events. The climates, vegetation, and landscapes of California, Malaysia, and Vietnam provided a palette to draw from. The process of creating artwork has given me pause in life’s busy schedule for contemplation. I allow specific personal events or emotions to guide my color selections, forms, and strokes. Painting in a gestural manner with watercolor and India ink onto the paper created a feeling of spontaneity. I responded to these initial watercolor forms by segmenting the painting. The last step included drawing with ink to manipulate the composition. White/negative spaces were used to affect the balance of the paintings, as these areas act as major forms within the compositions.

B.F.A. in Commercial Art at Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, 2000.
M.F.A. in Integrated Visual Art, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 2004.

• Overflow, John and Linda Friend Art Gallery, Concordia University, Irvine, California, October 30 – December 4, 2013. Solo art exhibition of watercolor mixed-media paintings that examined visceral and instinctive experiences shaped by recent travel and significant life events.
• Summer Group Exhibit, White Stone Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 12-August 2, 2013. Eruption, and Overflow, watercolor, acrylic medium and ink on watercolor paper. Juried exhibition.
• Visual Arts Exhibit, professional painting division, Orange County Fair, Costa Mesa, CA, July 12-August 11, 2013. Juried exhibition.
• All Media 2012, Irvine Fine Arts Center Gallery, Irvine, California, July 28-August 25, 2012. Juried exhibition.
• All Media 2009, Irvine Fine Arts Center Gallery, Irvine, California, November 20, 2009-January 16, 2010. Juried exhibition.
• Altered Communication, John and Linda Friend Art Gallery, Concordia University, Irvine, California, May 11 – September 5, 2009.
• Altered Communication, The Cornerstone Gallery, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, England, January 30 – February 27, 2009.
• Au Courant, John and Linda Friend Art Gallery, Concordia University, Irvine, California, April 7– May 2, 2008.
• The Art of D...