Artist Spotlight: Rachael Grimm
One of the things I love most about art is the way an artist can make us see something familiar differently.
Rachael Grimm has that ability.
Her watercolors draw you into moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed—a street scene, a group of people, the architecture of a city, the quiet interaction between light and shadow. There is a sense of movement and atmosphere in her work, but also an intimacy. Rachael isn't simply painting what she sees; she is paying attention to the feeling of being there.
That quality is one of the reasons I am so pleased to feature her work at Atelier Modern.
From England to New York
Rachael grew up in the northwest of England before moving to the United States in 1996. Her academic background is an interesting window into the artist she would become. She earned her degree from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, studying English Literature and Art History—two disciplines that seem beautifully connected to the way she approaches her work today.
There is a sense of storytelling in Rachael's paintings, but also a deep understanding of composition, art history, and the visual language of painting.
After moving to the U.S., she trained at the Art Students League of New York from 1996 to 2000, specializing in figure painting in oil.
That foundation in drawing and figure painting remains an important part of her work. Even when her subjects are bustling city scenes rather than traditional portraits, the people within her paintings feel considered and purposeful. They become part of the story of the place.
The Beauty of Watercolor
Rachael is an award-winning watercolorist, and her work demonstrates just how expressive the medium can be.
Watercolor has a particular ability to capture atmosphere. Light can feel fleeting. Edges can dissolve. Colors can move into one another. There is a sense that a painting can hold onto a moment without making it feel overly fixed.
Rachael uses those qualities beautifully.
Her work has been exhibited widely throughout the United States and United Kingdom and has appeared in publications including Watercolor Artist and The Best of Watercolor. Her paintings were featured in an eight-page article and on the cover of the December 2020 issue of Watercolor Artist.
Her accomplishments also include recognition beyond watercolor. One of her charcoals was selected as a finalist in Strokes of Genius 16: The Best of Drawing Art Competition.
And in 2025, Rachael's painting Outside the MoMA received the Samuel Leitman Award at the American Watercolor Society's 158th International Exhibition. The exhibition, held at New York's historic Salmagundi Club, included nearly 1,000 submissions from 34 countries.
A Moment Outside the MoMA
Outside the MoMA is a wonderful example of what makes Rachael's work so compelling.
The painting began with an ordinary moment. Rachael was sketching with friends at the Museum of Modern Art when, as they were preparing to leave, she looked through the museum's large windows and noticed the line of people waiting to enter.
It caught her attention immediately.
What could have been an incidental New York scene became the inspiration for a carefully considered painting. Rachael made quick sketches and took photographs, then spent considerable time simplifying the scene and deciding what to leave out.
She restricted her palette to cool tones to contrast with the warmer lights, even changing the colors of coats and cars to serve the composition.
That process says so much about her approach.
She sees a moment, but she doesn't simply document it. She edits, simplifies, rearranges, and interprets it until the painting expresses what initially caught her eye.
Looking, Remembering, Feeling
Perhaps this is what draws me most to Rachael's work.
There is an incredible amount of thought behind it, but the finished paintings don't feel overworked. They retain a sense of spontaneity and life.
Her background in literature feels particularly fitting. Like a good writer, Rachael knows that you don't need to tell the viewer everything. A gesture, a figure, a glimpse of architecture, or a particular quality of light can be enough to suggest an entire story.
The viewer gets to participate.
We fill in the details. We imagine where the people are going. We recognize a place or perhaps remember a similar moment from our own lives.
And suddenly, a painting becomes personal.
Why Rachael Grimm at Atelier Modern?
At Atelier Modern, I am always looking for artwork that brings something meaningful into a home—not simply something beautiful to look at, but something that creates a feeling.
Rachael's work does exactly that.
Her paintings have a wonderful balance of sophistication and accessibility. They are rooted in serious artistic training and a deep understanding of art, yet they retain a sense of warmth, movement, and everyday life.
I love that her subjects encourage us to slow down and notice.
A city street. A group of strangers. A building we might walk past every day. A moment of light.
Rachael reminds us that there is always something worth looking at if we take the time.
And perhaps that is what makes her work so special: she turns observation into emotion, and everyday moments into memories we can keep.
We are so happy to have Rachael Grimm's work featured at Atelier Modern and to share her unique perspective with our community in Larchmont and beyond.
I recently asked Rachael what do you hope someone feels when they live with your work?
"In all of my paintings and drawings I’m trying to communicate a feeling, and the best compliment in the world is when a viewer connects with that. Sometimes, the feeling I am trying to communicate has to do with the energy running through a piece - a feeling of excitement or of calm, for instance. In my watercolors and charcoals, this is expressed by my handling of light and atmosphere as well as my structuring of the composition.
I always try to capture a moment in time and hope that I can communicate the essence of that moment. When someone chooses to take home one of my paintings, when they live with it and see it every day, I hope that they connect with this moment and with the feeling I had when I decided to paint the picture in the first place." – Rachael