NEWS

A solo exhibit of my newest work, Liminal Spaces: New Paintings by Rebecca Crowell, opens September 3rd, 2026 at Fringe Gallery in Telluride, Colorado. I invite anyone in the area to see the work, and to enjoy the ambience of the Telluride Film Festival, which begins the next day.

For most of this year, I've been working on these paintings in which shapes and edges are sometimes distinct and sometimes soft, unfocused, and dissolving into an atmospheric and layered surface. The idea of liminality has guided me in this work, with its implications of transition and uncertain space.

The exhibit runs through September 27th. Please click here for all information about the paintings to be exhibited — they are the first 12 on the page.

Liminal Spaces paintings

This past June, I took part in an etching workshop at Crown Point Press in San Francisco, where many well-known artists including Richard Diebenkorn and Agnes Martin have worked with the master printers. It was my first opportunity in years to be a student rather than an instructor, and I found it both challenging and exciting to revisit techniques I had learned years ago when I was in college. I especially liked the rich dark tones I achieved with aquatint, including organic, washy textures with soap ground. And experiencing the intense, all-day focus that was required gave me new appreciation for what it is like for students in my own classes--rewarding but exhausting! Inspired by my late friend Allison B. Cooke's dedication to lifelong learning, I'm considering more workshops in the future. 

Recent Exhibit in Santa Fe: 2023

I continue to enjoy my representation at Winterowd Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and had a solo exhibit there in August of 2023, called Contemplative Spaces. These paintings reflect both the quiet majesty of the surroundings and the subtle nuances in nature experienced when walking alone in the landscape.

In October 2022, I was an artist in residence at Foundation Obras near Estremoz, Portugal, a spectacular region of cork trees and marble quarries. There, I focused on works on paper that referenced the human figure and involved much experimentation with the media. I continued to explore works on paper with mixed media during my 13th residency at The Ballinglen Arts Foundation in May, 2026, working with combinations of cold wax, printing ink, wood ash, and other additives plus cold wax medium.

I'm looking forward to my next residency in September, 2027, on Fair Isle in Scotland. This is the most remote of UK's islands-- a place of dramatic sea cliffs and home to a famous bird observatory. This residency is for a solo artist so it will be a true adventure in solitude.

As I reflect on the many artist residencies I've had--the first was in 2001--I see that each time, the focused time and interaction with new locations has led to important growth in my work. I'm very grateful for all of these opportunities, and I'm thinking about what might be the next residency to consider. 

http://www.obras-art.org/

https://www.ballinglenartsfoundation.org/

Jerry McLaughlin and I are pleased to be entering our fifth year of online instruction as Cold Wax Academy. Our focus has shifted in the past year to one of increased member interaction with a focus on developing strong compositions. Going forward, our program will emphasize structured self-study with access to our over 160 recorded sessions and 7-hour video workshop. Most of what we offer is not strictly tied to painting with cold wax--painters in any media are welcome to join. Please visit our website for complete information, to order our custom tools, and once it becomes available, to order the second edition of our book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations.