Selisa Rausch
(Bozeman, MT)

Untitled (MM Open Ache), Charcoal on Arches paper, 28" x 19"

I draw the nude to explore humanness—its agency, vulnerability, and imperfect beauty. My aim is not to transform the figure but to see deeply and stay open to what it reveals. Working mostly with the female nude, I avoid seductive or idealized poses and am drawn to models who are grounded in their own bodies. This authenticity creates space for my aesthetic response. I’m especially drawn to the tension between three-dimensional figuration and two-dimensional compositional structure. Moving between volumetric perception and flat, abstract seeing, I let shapes and lines guide me through a pose rather than focusing on named body parts. Some passages call for careful rendering; others dissolve into abstraction, allowing the drawing to breathe. Using additive and subtractive techniques, I suppress and reveal, letting search lines and smudges remain as evidence of looking. Ultimately, responsiveness matters more than finish and this informs all of my studio work.