Welcome to The Helpful Art Teacher, an interdisciplinary website linking visual arts to math, social studies, science and language arts.

Learning how to draw means learning to see. A good art lesson teaches us not only to create but to look at, think about and understand our world through art.

Please click on my page to see my personal artwork and artist statement: http://thehelpfulartteacher.blogspot.com/p/the-art-of-rachel-wintembe.html

Please contact me at thehelpfulartteacher@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

Organic Forms and Imagined Worlds, the Art of Rachel Wintemberg




Artist Statement

With each piece of art I create an imaginary world and invite you, the viewer, to invent your own stories as you wander inside the picture. In art, as in life, there is no one right answer. It is my hope that every visitor will be inspired to find their own magical place and invent their own stories.

I've been on the lookout for a portal into another dimension on some unconscious level ever since my earliest childhood. Often in my youth I would find myself imagining that I was surrounded by hidden passageways into magical worlds.
.
When life was painful I'd search for a portal as an escape. When life was good I was careful to avoid these traps doors. When I was with loved ones I would try to make sure that we went through these portals together so we were not separated into parallel universes. It's so ingrained in my perception that most of the time I barely notice it. However, seeing life's journey through this lens has always played a pivotal role in my art.

When you buy my work, you will own a thing of beauty that will transport  you to the land of your imagination whenever you wish.

I grew up climbing trees, catching frogs and fireflies and exploring the woods of Northern New Jersey in a close knit community called Free Acres in a little town called Berkeley Heights. When I am not teaching and creating art, I enjoy  kayaking, hiking and spending time with my husband and daughter. My childhood memories of exploring woods and streams inform every brush stroke of every picture I create.

My blog http://thehelpfulartteacher.blogspot.com contains  original free art lessons and is used by art students, art educators and home schoolers throughout the world.
Rachel H. Wintemberg

For more information about the artist and art educator, Rachel Wintemberg, click here and here.




THE ARTWORKS OF RACHEL WINTEMBERG:

MOST RECENT PAINTINGS
In the painting, I imagine the picture Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas would create if he were to visit Great Zimbabwe. Douglas often depicted heroic imagery of African American workers building skyscrapers in the United States with faded silhouettes of tribal life in the distant background. I envisioned him gazing on the ruins of Great Zimbabwe and thinking about the Iron age native builders who created this architectural marvel. To learn more about Douglas and his art, please click here.



The Trumpet Vines
Watercolor, completed December 2106

It is an illustration for the poem 'The Trumpet Vines' by Gregory Rosenthal and was a gift to the author.


"the trumpet vines
The trumpet vines

They were six inches up the porch screen
then suddenly twelve when I 
cut them down. 
 now they're 12 again
and I'm not sure how long I will wait
for them to blow but
I believe in the patience within me.
i am confident they will grow
long after I have lost everything
everything,
especially my hearing and sight.
i might never hear or see a thing again
but will never forget to
watch them and listen for them
While I can.
They can devour my
Birdfeeders, my wheelbarrow, 
The rusty old chair, 
My house.
i'm not cutting them down again."
By Greg Rosenthal

Fashion and Decorative Household Designs for VIDA
Most of us will buy very few pieces of original art in our lifetime. Why not wear art? It doesn't have to be expensive to be beautiful. There is something here for every price range. Designs starting at $40.00


New designs are uploaded weekly so check back often. To see my complete collection, please visit https://shopvida.com/collections/rachel-wintemberg

Decorative Household Items for 
SOCIETY6

Visit my shop on SOCIETY6 to buy these original designs https://society6.com/thehelpfulartteacher
Check back frequently for new creations.

Landscape Paintings
Inviting you into imaginary worlds...
Cathedral of Trees, Watercolor 9" x 12" (prints available)




Wildflower Meadow 18" x 24", Watercolor

The painting 'Wildflower Meadow' was inspired by a recent visit to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden where I stood on the edge of this idyllic spot and  took this photograph:








Avenue of Trees, Autumn 9"x12", Watercolor
Early Evening Light, Acrylic triptych on canvas
At the Edge of the Woods, 9"x 12", Watercolor





Avenue of Trees, Summer, 18"x 24", Watercolor






Trees and Clouds, Acrylic on Canvas diptych 11" x 14" each, sold
The Path Through The Woods, small shadow box layered watercolor cutouts (sold)




Animal and Bird Paintings and Designs



Gustav Klimt Style Koi
 This illustration is in the book 'If Picasso Went to the Sea' by Eric Gibbons. To purchase a copy of this book, click here.

 photo 813F9C9E-DED3-4AFE-83AE-FA6EF3145A3A.gif

Click in the box below to see a preview of this stunning children's book.





Dragons and English Ivy
To order a custom made Dragon and English Ivy designer cashmere and silk scarf, tote bag, sheer wrap or blouse from my VIDA collection, please click here.











Hummingbird






Chameleons,8"x 11" (prints available)








Bird of Paradise, Watercolor, Sold






Approaching Storm, Colored Pencil and mixed media 8.5" x 11"









The Painted Bird 18"x 24" mixed media on illustration board






"Tree of Life", composed of nine 4"x 4" wooden frames spaced 1" apart. Acrylic paint and Copic Marker. Click here to read about the many meanings of the 'Tree of Life' in cultures throughout the world: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life

The birds with the green dots on them have already been sold

Flower Paintings and Designs

Stargazers, watercolor 10"x12"
Original painting-Sold
Framed prints and posters available at SOCIETY6
For a framed print, click here.
For a poster, click here.

Also available as a coffee mug







Flowers and Vines Knotwork
















The Little Land, 12"x 12", Colored Pencil


Pink Rose and Wisteria, 12"x 14"  Gouache, 

Summer Fairy, watercolor, sold
(Print Available)
Squash Blossoms, Acrylic on Paper, 9"x 12"

Fantasy Worlds
In art there is no one right answer. I invite you to invent your own story as you enter through these windows into another dimension. If, like me, you have spent your life searching for a portal, please allow these pictures to transport you...

Overtaken, Mixed Media on Illustration Board




Emerging Spring, Colored Pencil and Gouache on Illustration board

Sold

Hide and Seek, pen and ink with watercolor



Urban Boogie










Continuum, 18"x 24", Gouache on Illustration Board, Sold




City on a Hill, 8.75"x 18", Watercolor


Lost in the Woods, Pen and Ink, 9"x 12"
Medieval Town, Watercolor, sold


Long  Ago and Far Away, Watercolor, Sold
Through The Trees 1, 10"x 11", Mixed Media, sold





Octopus's Garden, 12" x 12", Colored Pencil (prints available)




M.C. Escher's Christmas Tree, 14"x 14", Gouache
An illustration for the best selling children's book, If Picasso Had a Christmas Tree, By Eric Gibbons: 

"30 art teachers have put this delightful book together, pairing emulations of master works with poems written in rhyme by project leader and author, Eric Gibbons. Though written for children, we suspect this books will be treasured by artists, students, and teachers of all ages. With movements representing the Renaissance through Pop Art and everything in between, we see the theme of a Christmas tree visually translated with delightful illustrations that include paintings, drawings, and sculpture. Young readers will get a glimpse into the rich tapestry of art history without any pretension with a balance of both male and female artists represented"







Imagined World, Mixed Media, 12"x 12" 

(both original and prints available)








After Man 1-4 (prints available)


After Man, 6"x 30", Watercolor





Surreal Abstractions






Octopus's Garden 2, Mixed Media, 18"x 24"




Micro World 1, 9"x 12", Watercolor


The Island at the Edge of the World, Mixed Media on Masonite, Triptych, 15.5" x 22" each




The Do Nothing Machine, 8.5"x 11", Colored Pencil and Ink


 Book Illustration



Ceramics






Dragon Bowl, Ceramic
Lizard and Frog, Ceramic


Fear, Ceramic


EXHIBITIONS:

Art as Narrative: The Drawings, Paintings and Prints of Frandy Jean and Rachel Wintemberg









TNC Gallery at Theater For The New City,
155 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
 January12th - April 10th

For more information email Crystal Field:

One of my paintings was part of the International Women's Day exhibit  jointly sponsored by the Saphira and Ventura Gallery in Manhattan, C.R.E.A. Art Space in Newark NJ and Perth Amboy Gallery Center for the Arts in Perth Amoby, NJ. For more information about this group exhibit, click here.



Micro World, 16" x 20", Watercolor, part of the travelling International Women's Day exhibit





My artwork was part of a group exhibit at 
from February 12, 2015 to March 4
339 Reade Street
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 08861
(732) 826-1690 Ext 4325


 


Tunnel of Love, 14" x 14", altered photograph,  
rose garden, Old Mission at Santa Barbara CA






One of my paintings was part of a group show at Art Etc Gallery, 2 Main St, Hamburg, New Jersey 07419



Tree of Life, ROY G BIV, 9 x 12 Acrylic on Canvas

The concept of a tree of life has been used in biology, religion, philosophy, and mythology. A tree of life is a common motif in various world theologies, mythologies, and philosophies. It alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet. The term tree of life may also be used as a synonym for sacred tree. My Tree of Life is also a color wheel, with each bird representing a color in the rainbow.
This painting is available at 

FERAL- Art Etc's Wildlfe Show


Opening reception: Jan 24 at 6:00pm. Show runs until Feb 28 at 9:00pm
Art Etc Gallery, 2 Main St, Hamburg, New Jersey 07419







November 28, 2014-January 1, 2015

Opening Reception December 6th 3-6 PM


133 East Atlantic Avenue

Haddon Heights, New Jersey




Gallery Hours

Thursday 4pm - 7pm

Friday 4pm - 7pm

Saturday 2pm - 5pm



(856) 448-4644













I have decided to donate 25% of the proceeds from the sale of my prints to the charitable organization 'Artruistic'. Their plan is to set up a non-profit art center in Haiti where people in the community can be trained as artists. Small unframed prints are $30 through Artruistic. Large prints are $60. So simple, for not much money, own a thing of beauty and make the world a better place. 
1(856) 448-4644
http://frandyjeangallery.com





These pictures are currently 

available as prints:




2 comments:

  1. Dear Rachel, I am so inspired and impressed with your art work and your creative spiritual journey. Just AWESOME on so many levels, watercolor, colored pencils, design, reproduction, marketing, donating a % to Haiti community to help train young artists.!! Bravo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Rachel, im so proud of how much you have worked on this you can really see how much care you have taken while painting this piece. the colors in this painting make me feel at peace. thank you for sharing with us this amazing blog.
    please consider mine Solar system planets poster

    ReplyDelete