Spring Bouquet

About Spring Bouquet

This contemporary still life oil painting features a bouquet of red spring flowers.

In the artworld Mike Rachlis sees himself as a rebel. The Canadian artist’s work is rooted in the fundamentals of traditional painting and portraiture.
So, he appreciates form, colour, texture and line. But his interpretation of his classical training is wholly contemporary. Rachlis uses gestural brushstrokes, impasto, and vivid hues.
This classic still life—a bouquet of orange-red flowers in a clear glass vase is modernized by a masterful application of paint, mark making in abstracted form and a bold palette. The dark background makes the bright colours pop.

“My painting practice aims to exist in a challenging place, between representation and abstraction, fragmenting and making reference to art history with equal parts admiration and disdain.” Mike Rachlis

“His paintings make tangible the organization of chaos, they are at once both loose and tight. His use of colour, brush work and marks are completely convincing. When you view a Mike Rachlis painting you are viewing the freedom and unbridled expression of a young maestro.” Elaine Fleck Gallery, Toronto

Mike Rachlis graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has exhibited throughout Canada and the United States. His work is held in private collections around the world.