Bernadine Rais is a 28 year old local artist, specializing in painting and drawing. Her first ever solo exhibition, Souvenirs, features 27 pieces focusing on areas in and around Toledo at dusk. Rais considers herself a traditional oil painter with an academic style. Taking inspiration from artists such as Edward Hopper and John Singer Sargent, her pieces reflect the beauty of stillness and the quiet contemplation that comes with nighttime.
Nocturnal Nightscapes
Rais began her artistic journey with drawing, specifically anatomical drawings. This led her to painting. She began seriously painting when she was 21 years old, originally focusing on life subjects and portraits in her paintings. Her focal point shifted in 2020 to nocturnal night- scapes. At a time where the world needed a moment of stillness, Rais found it in
the quiet moments of suburban Toledo streets. “When I look for inspiration, it’s during the moments when I’m walking or driving and it’s peaceful and quiet and I hope that calm reflects in the work.”
These quiet moments, whether at a stoplight on a long drive or walking through a garden at twilight, hold a depth of emotion for Rais that she conveys in her art. Although some artists like to portray their art as something with a strong message or grandiose meaning, Rais paints these moments because they are calming and tranquil. “Painting is like a lifeline for me, when I paint it’s not some sort of violent expression, it’s deeply therapeutic.”
Soul Satisfying
The satisfaction Rais derives from her work comes from the introspective mood and color palette she has come to call her own. Taking great inspiration from the likes of Edward Hopper, she aspires to create pieces that are easy to relate to, that convey loneliness but also act as a reminder that you are never alone. “I love scoping out paintings at museums…