Tenley Raithel

Tenley creates her artworks using oil and watercolor paints in a style that reflects a modern approach to color theory. 

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Tenley’s recent series of oil paintings use bright and clear colors that allow contemplation. In these recent paintings, she has veered in a new direction with abstraction and bright oil colors.

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According to Tenley, she seeks an avenue of balance and focus through her paintings. 

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“Our current culture is looking for not only beautiful art, but art that speaks to them in a way that moves them. My paints are the tools I use to create that possibility.” 

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Tenley lives with her husband, border collie, and rescue cat, working in her upstairs studio, in their 1890’s home in Yorktown, Virginia.

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She has raised a family and lived internationally with her husband’s naval career, always finding a place in her life for creativity. 

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After retiring from a teaching career, she began to focus on art full-time. She has been determined to find an engaging and uplifting way to express herself through her art. 

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Tenley has recently observed the impact colors can have to bring balance into lives that are searching. The colors in her paintings connect with the viewers and create a subliminal response that can be felt. 

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Her paintings combine both spontaneous gestural strokes as well as reflective, cerebral approaches; some images based on visual reality and others in a distinctly abstract mode. 

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Tenley usually has a cup of tea in her hand as she stands back and contemplates her ongoing work, with a palette of paints and brushes ready when her inner voice feels an urge. Her strongly spiritual nature leads her to rely heavily on God’s voice to direct her images and  shares credit for her creative expression.