Don Rainville was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1960. Known for his use of action painting techniques, Rainville takes his inspiration from infinite forms of wild landscapes to create dynamic and expressive depictions of nature. After studying forestry at the Essex Technical Institute of Agriculture, Rainville entered the world of high end antique and art restoration, honing colorist skills and the ability to experiment with diverse materials; the consistent nature of such refined work is in direct contrast to Rainville’s approach to his paintings. Using house oils allows less interruption in the application of paint, providing more direct access to the fluidity of the medium to achieve random and spontaneous effects and “be literally ‘in’ the painting” (noting the influence of Pollock in Rainville’s work). Rainville uses no brushes in his work, preferring to more directly manipulate paint; he works with torn shapes of lightweight cardboard, and at times, actual plant material to apply paint.
Rainville’s primary focus in on “treescapes” and the never ending inspiration provided by forests. Tree epigenetics (or the adaptive capacity of trees to environmental changes) influences Rainville’s more abstract works, as does jazz. “I liken my paintings to abstract orchestrations of visual music, much like jazz is unlike formalized concepts of music. My paintings are invented as they proceed, and as each portion of the composition comes forward on a moment by moment basis, the components are random and abstract, yet pre-consciously orchestrated—the growth of a living forest works in much the same way.”
Rainville exhibits throughout the New England region, and has shown at the Cahoon Museum on Cape Cod and the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire. In numerous collections around the United States, Rainville is represented by the Gallery at Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island and Harbor Square Gallery in Rockland, Maine. He presently maintains his studio in Camden, Maine.
Website
https://www.donaldrainville.com
