At last it's Friday once again, and today's
Found featured artist is one who's work speaks volumes all on it's own. Which is a great thing for a variety of reasons, it has been a very busy blogging week for me, and I may need the help. I initially happened across the work of the astonishingly awesome
Cate Rangel on Etsy, and I just knew I had to share it with everyone I could.
Cate is among the small number of self-taught artists that I would place in the "
Are You Kidding Me" category. What I mean by that is, her work displays such an unbelievable level of skill and style that it is hard to believe that she hasn't been studying art her entire existence. Her work is startling in it's expressiveness, and her images will stay with you, almost call to you, as they did to me, asking you to come and have another look.
Based in Los Angeles, Cate's paintings of primarily female subjects reflects what she describes as a "psychological mirror". While her formal education includes a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Rangel's work is a school in the elements of the feminine mystique.
Her portraits, of real or imagined subjects (it is sometimes difficult to be certain) are powerful in their apparent simplicity. They convey the "mix of boldness and fragility" that Cate herself identifies, but something more that is hard to describe in words.
For me, art is all about the way it makes me feel, I know instantly whether I love something or if it not my 'thing'. The moment I saw Rangel's work, I was swimming in the pure joy of having connected. Her work speaks to me, not only because of the subject matter, but the style as well. There is a haunting vulnerability in the eyes of these women, while at the same time, a sense of the power they possess.
A mix of pop art, pin-up, fashion illustration, and expressionism, with an ample dose of Suicide Girl sexy, there is a stark beauty to each and every painting. Working primarily in acrylic on panel, Cate's skill is breathtakingly obvious, her images look like they are ready to come to life in some perfectly dark futuristic cyber-society or comic book, but I wouldn't be surprised to find them in a local Tattoo Parlor either.
You can select from a lovely selection prints, many Limited Edition in Cate Rangel's
Etsy shop, or visit her
online store where you can find some of her original work alongside her prints. On Etsy, prints range in price by size and edition availability, but generally start from $25 USD, while original paintings can be found beginning at $325 USD and up. Cate also has a
website where you can see a large gallery of her work, her exhibiting calendar, and more. Rangel also indicates in her
Etsy shop information that some images not appearing in her store can be purchased as prints upon request, so I urge you to have a good look around. Aren't you glad that
Cate Rangel was
Found On A Friday? I know I am.
LINKS:
Cate Rangel on Etsy
Cate Rangel Original Art
Cate Rangel Store
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