"My inspiration is rooted in humanity’s adversity, strength, resilience, and the absurdity of life.  The personal myths, and stories of others, fills my creative well. Feeling/seeing the laughter, love, and sorrow in people keeps me connected to the greater picture. It is this connection that brings the richness of story out in my work. 

Although these times are in no way humorous, there is a Shakespearean absurdity to them. My art is a reflection on the actions, and ideology of a certain demographic of society. Through exploration in drawing and painting, I am continually searching to find a story that can bring some assemblage of wit, and dialogue to the state of things going on. This has been challenging for me. It’s my objective that these works are timeless, in the sense that the meaning behind my art is nothing new. As we continue to revisit troubling actions and agendas, my hope is that one day, we will move beyond history’s dilemmas and trials of society, with the works being not only being a recording of history and people, but possibly being looked at as silly conundrums. 

My finished paintings have similarities to the painters of the Northern Renaissance. I love working in oil because it has so much forgiveness, wiping out, adding new layers. Lots of vigor goes into the initial layout. Nothing is really worked out before start a painting, consequently my paintings will go through many iterations before they are complete. Recently, I was contemplating my work (in  the shower.. the best place to do so) and the vibrancy of my paintings, “why so colorful?” I came to the realization that it is my subconscious’ way to offset the darker elements that reside in my work. The result, softening the blow by bringing the joy of color. 

I work from memory, from the inside out, from imagination, feeling through the expression for a what I am trying to convey. I find when working from a model I am too informed, giving me too much reality in the figure. It's a completely different process, than many realist painters. Some disagree with this approach, thinking I should have my imagery planned out. But for me, that initial energy of the vigorous sketching in paint, directly on canvas, is what gets me going. Thinking by doing. It is almost like there are two sides to me as an artist. A more abstracted side, and then the much more representational side. Sometimes I feel the pressure, not necessarily the desire, to let the wilder side dominate. But I always return to who I am instinctively." - Rachel Romano

Rachel Romano’s work has been exhibited at Miami Art Basel Week 2024 with Stanek Gallery, Canyon Road Gallery, Santa Fe NM;  Russell Sage College, Albany NY; Pictor Gallery, Chelsea NY; Art Santa Fe; Delaware College of Art and Design, Wilmington DE; Awaken Galley NC; Goggleworks Cohen Gallery East, Reading PA; Demuth Museum Lancaster PA; Festival d'Art Contemporain à Roquebrune sur Argen, Seillans, and Bargemon France. 

She has been featured in publications and blogs, including Women’s United; Art Seen; CREATE Quarterly; re-FOCUS;Painters Tubes (Uk/Sweden); In-The-Net-EU (Italian/English); The Jealous Curator; Beautiful Bizarre Artist Guide; and has been interviewed by Margaret Winslow, Head Curator Delaware Art Museum (radio interview). Rachel's sketchbook and working drawings, monograph, catalogues are in the permanent collection of The Pennsylvania Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA, a collection that dates back to 1760.