In honour of Mother's Day, BOOM Contemporary presents a show of original paintings by artist mother Rachael Grad. Two series are featured: "Mommy Mayhem" abstract gestural paintings in oil and acrylic and "Motherhood Hit Me Like a Train" watercolour, ink, and pigment paintings using Thomas the Tank Engine toys as paint brushes.

Mommy Mayhem painting series:

Gestural paintings stem from documenting my three kids and their perpetual messes during a pandemic. First, I draw and paint from life then combine 65 layers of this observational art in Photoshop to make digital collages. Expressionist paintings are loosely based on the collages. The bright, vibrant colours are pulled from children’s toys, crafts, books, clothing and are layered over multiple painting sessions. The playful abstracted representational imagery echoes the mayhem of motherhood.

The paintings blur the distinction between representation and abstraction in combining many moments of childhood. Acrylic and oil marks are built up on canvas or panel through repetition and movement.

"Motherhood Hit Me Like a Train" painting series:

Rolling a toy train across my artwork is a not-so-subtle metaphor for being a mother and an artist. When I became a mother, my art changed course. Toys overtook my home and artwork. In this series I reverse the ubiquitous toy train and turn it into a paintbrush. The sweeping motion of this mark making is unexpectedly tiring for my arm and back, like the physical aches experienced when mothering newborns. The playful colour works versus dark black images reflect the 24-hour nature of mom duties.

To express motherhood in body and gesture, I use small toy trains to make marks across watercolour paper. I dip trains in paint, then roll them while standing or kneeling over the paper to make lines.

Mommy Mayhem painting series:

Gestural paintings stem from documenting my three kids and their perpetual messes during a pandemic. First, I draw and paint from life then combine 65 layers of this observational art in Photoshop to make digital collages. Expressionist paintings are loosely based on the collages. The bright, vibrant colours are pulled from children’s toys, crafts, books, clothing and are layered over multiple painting sessions. The playful abstracted representational imagery echoes the mayhem of motherhood.

The paintings blur the distinction between representation and abstraction in combining many moments of childhood. Acrylic and oil marks are built up on canvas or panel through repetition and movement.

Artist Mother Biography

Rachael Grad is a Toronto artist, mom of three, VP at Hilton, and non-practicing lawyer who has studied and worked in the US, France, Italy, and Hong Kong. She left practicing law to study painting full-time at the New York Studio School and New York University before transferring to OCAD University. Grad graduated OCADU as the Governor General Academic Medal and Mrs. W.O. Forsyth Award Winner. Trained to paint and draw from life, Grad’s current art practice incorporates digital painting and collage along with her observational drawing and painting. Currently in the MFA (Visual Arts) program at York University, Grad was awarded a SSHRC, CGS Master’s Scholarship and a Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

Grad combines her experience as a mother, former lawyer, and traveler into her artwork and curatorial projects. Creating work based on parenting moments, current series include “After the Plague” abstract expressionist paintings, “Motherhood Hit Me Like a Train” works on paper that use trains as paintbrushes, and “Mommy Mayhem” digital collages and paintings. Recent exhibitions include Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) and the Museum of Motherhood (St. Petersburg, Florida). Her writing and art have been featured in FEMSPEC, the Journal of Mother Studies, MER Literary Journal, MILK Art Journal, Verklempt! Magazine, Niv Magazine, and the Toronto Sun.

Find me on social media: @RachaelGradArt

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Mother's Day!