Immersive Art: Local Creator’s Monumental Pieces Invite Self-Discovery and Aesthetic Delight

Renee Raub-Ayers has identified herself as a “mark-maker” for as long as she can recall.

“Since an early age, I felt a strong urge to draw and convey my thoughts,” she shares. The artist from Alton, IL, initially began sketching with whatever materials she had on hand, but it was during her teenage years that she started experimenting with paint, motivated by a high school teacher who encouraged her artistic journey.

At 43, Raub-Ayers is not formally educated in art. She is a self-educated artist, with a unique technique and style. She describes her creations as contemporary folk art: expansive in scale, featuring female subjects, accompanied by a restricted color scheme.

Balancing her career as an accountant, Raub-Ayers devotes several evenings each week to her painting in her home studio. When Houska Gallery began showcasing her work in the Central West End of St. Louis in 2014, the increased visibility and backing led her to sell more art, which encouraged her to paint more regularly. “Selling my artwork made it feasible for me to paint more frequently,” she notes. “Paint and canvases are costly, and I don’t think many people realize that.”

Even with her progress as an artist, Raub-Ayers does not anticipate any shifts in her professional trajectory. She still considers her art to be an additional pursuit. “I don’t want to approach a canvas with the mindset that I must create something that is marketable,” she clarifies, “I wish to avoid that—I prefer to create art for the sake of creation, not for profit.”

Acrylics serve as her main medium. She appreciates them for their versatility and aptitude for layering. “Oils can get muddled. Acrylics dry rapidly, can be layered, and manipulated by adding water.” The gentler edges in her art are produced by allowing the paint to dry partially before utilizing a dry brush to soften the image and harmonize the lines.

Among her artistic inspirations are Johannes Vermeer, Maurits Escher, and Andrew Wyeth; however, Raub-Ayers also draws from her environment. “I depict what I know. As a woman, I often create imagery featuring girls. Each painting I undertake begins with a narrative about our shared experiences or challenges we might face together. Painting provides an avenue for my mind to have the necessary space and time to untangle intricate ideas. In this process, the girl often embodies aspects of myself,” she reveals. Frequently, the imagery is embellished with vines or foliage, representing Raub-Ayers’ affinity for gardens, or adorned with circles, which she connects to innocence.

The dimensions of her artwork are also remarkable. Most pieces measure 48” x 60”, and some are as expansive as 5’ x 8’. “I began painting on a larger scale after moving into our house in 2008; I had many large walls to decorate. I enjoyed the sensation of making broad brushstrokes with a large brush, unrestrained by minor details. Nowadays, nearly everything I create is on a sizable canvas.”

“Renee’s art and themes are often very direct and emotionally resonant for viewers or clients,” states Charlie Houska, owner of Houska Gallery. “They tend to quickly bond over a shared feeling of tension or specific drama that Renee imbues in her craft, all rendered in her signature half-smile, eye-wink technique.”